Apart from last year, which I’ll dig into shortly, I’ve been writing an open letter to myself, which also happens to be a blog post, for the past ten years now, and let me tell you, this one hits a little differently. What the life-altering experience of finding out I had late-stage cancer, and then figuring out how to live with it taught me, and I’m still learning, is the crux of this year’s letter to myself, and the story I want to share with you – all about what I’m still experiencing, growing from, and where I hope to go from here as a forty-five-year-old woman who’s a mother, business owner, writer, and, oh yes, also living with stage four cancer.

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Growth isn’t easy. That’s why so many people live a life that’s mediocre, rather than amazing. But if you can get comfortable with uncomfortability, you just might grow into a life that’s truly fulfilling.

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Cancer changed my life, but it didn’t stop the world from spinning. And some days this knowledge is a comfort, while other days, knowing that life keeps happening, despite cancer, is incredibly difficult. But regardless of the scans, treatment infusions, doctor’s appointments, second opinions, and emotions that come with having and treating cancer, there’s another reality that simultaneously exists. It’s the one where groceries still need to be bought, and kids still need to be taken to sports practices and tournaments. It’s the reality where clients send emails at inconvenient times, and your business still needs to be managed along with your team. Birthdays, anniversaries, and vacations can’t just be placed on hold – even if you have cancer.

You would think that after over 10 summers with kids out of school, I’d be a pro at planning for the shift, establishing routines that work, and finding thoughtful ways to spend quality time with my kiddos. And yet, every single year, the end of the school year sneaks up on me. Halfway through summer, I find that I’m buried in work that’s behind schedule, overwhelmed by play dates and summer activities, and struggling with the loss of routine and desire to have a meaningful and fun summer that isn’t dominated by screens, yet allows me time to work and enjoy the season – is that too much to ask?

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The funny thing is, most of the things I’ve come to accept as truth about ambition, motherhood, life balance, and health are the opposite of what ten or even twenty-year-old me thought was real and true because the absurdity of holding it all together gracefully and effectively is a myth.

So, with that in mind, let’s dig into the 10 funny and honest things I’ve learned as a mother and business owner, who’s also thriving through cancer treatment.

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If you have ever been called the ‘strong one,’ you know that this title doesn’t just get slapped on, and it likely didn’t become your core personality trait overnight, or after some shocking life event. Here’s the truth about being the strong one that no one tells you, and how you can change your perspective on what it means to have strength, and also take care of yourself.

The best thing you can do to set yourself up as a parent for coping with the real reality of life, and set your children up to handle adversity and build resilience, is to accept a hard, hard truth: Motherhood (or Parenthood) is not at all about creating a picture-perfect childhood for your children. And you are not failing if the unexpected has stomped into your life and derailed your perfect parenting plans. The best parent you can be is the one who embraces that learning how to move through challenges and the unexpected is the most important gift you can give yourself and your children.

Here’s what I’ve learned and put into practice as a mother: life threw me some major curveballs as a parent, forcing me to rethink everything I thought I knew and thought I could control.

Whether you’re just diagnosed, in cancer treatment, or post-treatment, trying to navigate a new world as a cancer survivor, finding ways to welcome self-renewal into your life, and emotional recovery as you navigate healing is critical to your long-term health and wellbeing. I’m not here to tell you that you need to “bounce back,” or “fight through” anything that you are experiencing now, or recovering from.

I’m just a mom, who’s navigating treatment and recover from stage four cancer, and wants to share some of the essential things I’ve learned so far.

Here’s what I now know about Immunotherapy, based on my experience so far. 

I will either write additional posts or update this post about things I learn as I progress through the rest of the treatment, which will ideally finish when I am “cancer-free” or “cancer stable.”

When is the right time to have children? A candid take on modern motherhood, changing timelines, self-doubt, and choosing life on your own terms.

I’m a mom, and I have stage four melanoma in my pancreas and liver. I’m currently in cancer treatment. This is what I learned as I turned forty-four during the most challenging part of my cancer journey.

In August of 2025, I discovered that I had stage four Melanoma. This is my story, and insights on how I learned (very quickly) to manage and move forward with the diagnosis in the first month. So if this is you (or someone you love), and you are going through the process of accepting a new cancer diagnosis, and trying to figure out what’s next, here are a few things that I found helped me through the first month of learning that I had stage four melanoma in my pancreas and liver.

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Feeling overwhelmed? The August Reset is a compassionate guide for working women and career moms to reclaim mental clarity, refresh routines, and realign goals.