I’ve run into so many people through this process who have either had cancer in the past, or have it currently. Either they encourage me, or I have had the privilege of encouraging them. It has been amazing.

Last Thursday I had an echocardiogram. Leah, the nurse who examined my heart went through an extreme form of Leukemia in 2011. She was in the hospital in some sort of solitary confinement for weeks. It was brutal. But she said that it was the best time of her life. Why? God taught her something new every single day.

She loved when her hair fell out. Why? No more facades. No more trying to be somebody. No more trying to keep up appearances. She was free to love & be loved.

As Leah used ultrasound to examine my heart, she radiated joy. Later this month she will celebrate being “cured.”

There have been several people with stories like this. It’s as if cancer has the capacity to bring a razor-sharp clarity to the meaning of life. We are free to focus on the joy of each breath, rather than the worries that have a tendency to crowd out that joy.

Breathe deeply today. Find joy in each moment. Smile.

Thank you, Leah!