Here's to 8035 Days of LIVING!

22 years!

8035 days.

11,770,440 minutes.

LIVING AND LOVING my 1440 minutes every single day!

8035 days since my breast cancer diagnosis at the age of 30.

8035 days of little things and big things that I was able to experience, see, feel, touch, hear and love.

8035 days where my heart was filled with love for those around me.

8035 days where I got to see my son grow up, find new love after my heart was broken and create an awesome blended family with 3 incredible kids.

8035 days where I can serve others and make a difference in this world.

My life was forever changed 22 years ago. Hearing those 4 words "You have breast cancer" while in the midst of planning my son Brandon's 2nd birthday party changed my life in the most profound ways.

I was only 30. I had no family history. I was healthy. But what I learned is that cancer does not care. Cancer does not discriminate. Those words and that memory is still so vivid in my mind. I remember it all. Every word. Every tear. Every fear. But here I am 22 years later soaking it all up.

I have so much to be thankful for - reaching so many smilestones over the past 8035 days. I will take the chemo, the surgeries, the scars, the swollen hand, and all that comes with that just to be given the chance to have been here for the last 8035 days and hopefully many more.

Blessed beyond measure to be here and still making every day count - especially when so many friends aren't here. Grateful that my mom will also be ringing the bell for her last day of treatment for her own breast cancer treatment this coming Wednesday! (She was diagnosed last year with the same rare type of triple negative breast cancer that I had.)

There have been many highs and many lows over the last 22 years and we've all experienced so many of those over the last few years, but I have never lost sight of the fact that I am here, alive and that means something. It's up to me to make my time here count.

There has been hard. There were days when I wasn't sure I would make it. But thanks to my faith, family and friends, I never quit. I never gave up on myself. My cancer, in many ways prepared me for my divorce. To me, my divorce was actually more difficult emotionally than my cancer. But I made it through. It wasn't easy but it was so worth it.

And there has been more hard. Blending while mending. Being in the sandwich with aging parents and kids. The hard of the past few years. Hard in life, relationships and business.

The reality is we all have our hard. And our hard is hard to us. If we let it, it can help us grow, evolve and be the best version of us.

I learned to grit up, not give up. I learned to thrive. And realized that I was stronger than I ever thought possible.

I learned to soak it all up. Every single moment. Because none of us know when it may be our last. And there are those who would give anything to be here for one more day.

I learned to not let the hard in my life harden me.

For me, I've had 8035 more days, where regardless of my circumstances, I was just thankful to wake up. Some days it's easy to forget that - because we all have those days, especially over the last few years - but then I am jolted back to reality. And I am grateful and thankful for LIVING, even with hard times. Because they help shape who I am and the impact I make in this world.

The hard makes the highs even better.

I am overcome with joy, with gratitude and with happy tears today.

My advice to you:

No matter what, be thankful for TODAY.This day.

Live and Love your 1440 minutes today and every day! Soak them up. Let go of the stuff that doesn't really matter in the end.

Focus on what matters. Living and LOVING.

Here's to making your minutes and your days count.

Here's to LIFE itself! How are you soaking up every single minute today?

#maketodaycount #8035moredays #liveyour1440 #lovinglife #gratitude #resilience #gritup #soakupthemoments

PS: My actual cancer anniversary was at the end of January - but life (with a growing business and caregiving for my mom during her cancer) has left me not being as active here on LinkedIN as I wanted to be. I'm back! :)