The secret of getting ahead is getting started. - Mark Twain In the past few videos and posts, I’ve mentioned how we got through tough moments and what helped us cope (receiving a card, postcard, or some chocolate chip cookies. However, we also had to adjust on our own and advocate for Ryan’s needs quite often. Chats From the Other Side of the Bed Through Ryan’s first protocol, and well into the second one, I felt versed enough with childhood cancer and the treatments (rememb

That’s right! The title of this post is no joke. I can’t stress enough how a simple box/tray/bag of chocolate chip cookies can #helpothers! Brownies work too! If you want to help others going through a difficult time, baking or buying cookies could be the way to go. If the family, or child, cannot eat them, they can take the cookies to the hospital and share them with the nurses or resident doctors, or other staff. Believe me, they will get eaten in about 5 minutes flat. (The

There is something special about sending and receiving a handwritten note. Thankfully, while we were dealing with Childhood Cancer with Ryan, friends and family often reached out to us via a card or letter sharing how much they were thinking about us. I wish I could have bottled that feeling. There is nothing like it. It’s being special. It’s being thought of when the world is spinning out of control. It’s feels like love…because cancer is loveless. The video below is with my

Today was one of those wonderfully full days—time spent visiting with my college friends, catching up, laughing, and enjoying being together. Summer is still going strong here in South Haven, Michigan, and I’m glad to be part of the BGGGW (Bowling Green Girls Gone Wild) week. And suddenly…it’s late! (We walked, went to the local Farmer’s Market, beach, lunch at a teammates house, and dinner at our Airbnb rental, talking, and lots of laughing). But I made a promise to myself t

First and foremost, I want to recognize that it’s been 25 years since 9/11. Our worlds changed on that fateful day, yet, as a nation, we rallied around the families that were affected most by the Twin Towers in NYC, the Pentagon in D.C., and a cornfield in Shanksville, PA. Those left behind still need support. So much tragedy then that is still difficult to process. New Yorkers are still trying to “recover.” When a little child is diagnosed with cancer, it’s tragic. Not like

Driving to Ohio yesterday was somewhat uneventful when it came to driving the same car as I had a month ago. Thankfully, my car drove as usual (I had car trouble last month on another trip to Ohio), but on the PA Turnpike, traffic for miles had to come to a screeching halt due to an accident headed Eastbound. The finish line kept moving…but arrived safely…the ultimate goal! Before heading out to pure Michigan for a BGGGW (Bowling Green Girls Gone Wild) long weekend get-togeth

A Heartfelt Reflection from Yinzer Extraordinaire, Jim W. When I mentioned in The Focused Fight that once readers reach the illuminating reflections from the village in the back of the book, you may need a tissue or two. Some people take it to heart, like Jim Wereszczynski, of Yinzer fame at The Putaway Pickleball Club. I hope you tune in to his 4-minute video on his reflection on “reading” it, or, more aptly, listening to it as an audio recording (found on Apple Music/Podcas

Writing a book is rewarding for most authors. It was the best thing for me, hands down. When a book is first published, a lot of activity goes into getting it into the hands and minds of readers across genres. Marketing can be never-ending. Perhaps “finding” new readers is quite daunting. Turning a book into an audiobook can bring new life to those who would rather drive and listen than read and turn pages. Thankfully, I did that too. It’s all personal preference. Two weeks a

Today’s post title is something I may ask a few more people in our orbit about: childhood cancer and beyond during September for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month 2026. When I called Sister Pat Parachini this evening about a mutual friend of ours who passed away this week, I had the opportunity to ask her the question above (or answer it). From Sister Pat, pastoral care at Georgetown University Hospital for six years, starting in 1997: “One thing I wish people knew was that yo

If people ask me what a few things I “needed” to do to get through tough moments with Ryan’s cancer were, I often talked about having creative endeavors or having fulfilling hobbies. Even if there is no rough patch to “get over,” the power of community in a creative endeavor or a hobby can be life-saving. That’s not to say individual time doing either of those things isn’t good. They all are. Creating with intention, as with writing and quilting, has been the biggest contribu