Since middle school, I have known that my career would be as an attorney. It has always been my dream to become an attorney.

After twenty-one years of marriage and two children, I asked for a divorce. I never intended to be a single mom, but it was necessary for our future happiness.

Our fairytale was shattered on April 27, 2018, and our nightmare began. Jeff received a terminal diagnosis: cancer.

Once you hear the words “terminal cancer diagnosis,” it initially feels impossible to be hopeful.

Even almost four years later, the title still does not roll off my tongue naturally, although it has softened.

One of the most impactful tools Jeff and I devised was a bucket list. This was a bucket list of hope, aimed at creating memories and inspiring us to continue fighting for more time together.

When I became a widow on September 1, 2021, I somehow believed I could escape the title that carried so much pain; I was mistaken.

When Jeff was diagnosed with terminal cancer, I reached into the toolbox of strategies I had developed and tapped into the strength and resilience I had honed over the years after experiencing many painful losses.

As a young preteen, I attended Gam-Anon meetings with my parents due to my dad’s gambling addiction. This is where I first heard the Serenity Prayer.