When my daughter was 4 years old, she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of childhood cancer. I was shocked and devastated to say the least. It felt as though I was living a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from. I just kept thinking “why is this happening to us?” I was scared. During treatment I became impatient and sharp with my words, exhausted, losing weight, and had a cough that wouldn’t go away. All I could think was “this is not fair!”

I joined support groups and talked with other moms, but they all just confirmed we were victims and this wasn’t fair. All though this was true, it didn’t help me be the very best mother I could possibly be. My thoughts and actions were the only thing I was truly in control of. I made a conscious choice to not let fear control me and to start taking care of myself.

I pulled out the tools I had learned from my background in health, meditation and stress management. I learned valuable techniques that helped me become aware of my thoughts and then able to shift them to ones that helped me focus on what was going well and what I could do in that moment. I chose to believe that we weren’t in a battle and this cancer wasn’t the enemy. Rather, these were some sick cells that wanted to heal and our job was to support them in this healing process. My daughter started thriving through treatment, I was sleeping better and my energy was increasing. We were enjoying our time together and finding joy in every day.

My daughter has been cancer free for over 2 years now. I can honestly say I love my life. I wake up feeling healthy, energized and grateful for every day. I still practice intentional thought techniques daily, especially when she complains about a pain or when scans are near, but I can honestly say this experience has made me a better mom and I enjoy motherhood more than I did before. I never expected my daughter’s cancer journey to lead me toward greater peace, resilience, and joy- but it changed everything.

If you are someone who has been in survival mode because of your child’s health and wants to restore energy, calm and joy, then click the button the below to access the free training video I’ve put together for YOU!