Brave Heart, Brave Soul. She who is brave is free.

"I chose you easy, but, not because I think it will always be easy, because with you I know that even on the dreadful, wretched, luckless days, when the troubles of the world are downpours of thick, clamoring, beating rain ~ you will laugh, take my hand, and whisper delightfully, Dance with me." ~ Beau Taplin/The Dance It's funny when I think of how Johnny and I met some 22 years ago. We were both so young, just getting out into the world, finding our footing. I was just out of college and he was a real country boy. He showed up for our first meeting in wranglers, boots and a black cowboy hat. I was absolutely smitten as he took my hand and led me out onto the dance floor. I was late, he was early but somehow our first meeting happened. We'd been talking on the phone for a month and had decided to take that fateful first step, meeting in person, for the first time in public, on a real date. I was beyond nervous, and so was this good looking American Indian, c...

Taking a look back, it was ten years ago I crossed the finish line during our first breast cancer walk. I was fighting the beast at the age of 33. Hand in hand, arms up with my family and friends we stood united. Johnny was on my left and my sister Morgen was on my right when we stepped over that line together.  To say it was a surreal moment is an understatement. But I learned something  as we crossed the victory line, something I carry with me till this very day.  Michael Douglas says it best, “Cancer didn’t bring me to my knees, it brought me to my feet.” So let me introduce myself again. I’m a fighter, I’m a survivor and I’m the proud owner of one real breast, a uniboob if you like and yes, one fake boob. I certainly found my sense of humor early on in this battle. My sister Morgen wouldn’t have allowed me to be any other way quite honestly. Morgen she’s a fighter herself, a fellow spoonie battling lupus. She looked me right in the eyes and I knew we woul...