The Story Every Mom Should Read

Full disclosure: I wrote this story. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t awesome! And inspiring. Meet 10 moms who've juggled the head-scratching, hair-raising, gut-wrenching duties of parenting, all while battling cancer. They are captial-S Survivors and they have a message for you! Take a look.

Back in July, I had the privilege of being a part of this awesome “momvivors” photo shoot for Parenting (it’s in the October issue—get a copy!). 10 of us—all with different diagnoses, experiences, anxieties and scars—gathered together for a day of absolute empowerment. We laughed, we talked, we drank Veuve Clicquot. Each of the moms shared her struggles and her triumphs with me and, as a momvivor myself, I was incredibly inspired. And reminded that no matter how hard this parenting gig gets, we are so lucky to be able to do it.

Please read the piece and let me know what you think! I hope you'll be as pumped reading about these women as I was meeting them (more disclosure: one of the women is my sister, Melissa, a lymphoma survivor!). Part of the project is to motivate other women to make their health a priority, to never put themselves last as so many moms do (everyone in the story is grateful that they found their cancer when they did--early enough to battle it and win!). Check out our Be Smart, Be Healthy pledge  and pass it on to someone you love—or even someone you kinda like. This is the most important thing we can do for our kids!

Ever feel overwhelmed by parenting? These cancer survivor moms will make you realize you can handle more than you think!