Summer.  Families are crammed into vans bulging with suitcases, pillows, headphones, and a cooler for drinks and snacks.  Dads are checking the tires one last time.  Moms are reminding themselves this is going to be fun.  Kids are asking if…

It was a pleasant evening for May.  The only problem was the bright sun glaring in our eyes each time we stole a glance at the football field.  Sitting on the sunny side, it would be a relief to have…

How does Mom take a few ingredients and combine them in such a way to make mouth-watering meals and desserts?  Here are some favorite recipes, written from a child's perspective! CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES by Audrey 1 whole piece of butter…

Success.  What is it?  How is it measured?  How is it attained?  We spend our lives working, striving, seeking to be successful.  When success is achieved, is that the end, or merely a stepping stone leading us to more? What…

Our life is a composition of stories, forgotten if not written or shared.  Enjoy this article, written by guest author, Rhonda Lauritzen, founder of Evalogue Life--Tell Your Story! I didn’t set out to write my own family’s story, or anyone…

My husband and I were in the early years of our marriage when we set out across the country, pulling everything we owned in the largest U-Haul trailer our old Pontiac Grand Prix could handle.  Driving from Arizona to Virginia…

My husband, Randy, loves road trips.  I prefer getting to a destination as quickly as possible and search online for flights.  Most often, his choice of travel prevails and once again we load the car with luggage, plenty of snacks,…

I have driven this same route multiple times for the last three years.  It is the road to my mom’s and I make frequent trips to visit and help her with the challenges of aging.  The only thing different about…

A Chance Meeting I will never forget turning the corner and seeing her for the first time.  She radiated a smile that seized my heart and my eyes would not let go.  Who was this young girl, and what was…

January 5.  Five days into a new year and I’m still struggling with the culmination of the Christmas season.  I wrestle with this emptiness every year.  The more I put into the planning, the preparation, the surprises, and carrying out…

I guess you could say I'm a kid at heart, especially when it comes to Christmas.  I'm the first to put up the decorations, and the last to take them down.  I partly blame my dad for my obsession with…

Christmas approached, but not with the usual anticipation and joy typically characteristic of the season.  At least not for Afton.  It was nearly a year since the unexpected death of her husband and the music, smells, and festive decorations only…

A Tempting Proposal It all began with good intentions.  Randy knew I worked hard on Thanksgiving day (not to mention the weeks leading up to it) and he wanted me to relax and enjoy the holiday.  I taught school at…

The day has arrived; a day I never thought would be part of my life.  A whirlwind of uninvited events has led me to this door—the entrance to the oncology waiting room.  Leaning against the heavy door, I finally gather…

Unexpected Journey I will always remember the day I learned I needed a biopsy on a suspicious mass discovered in my left breast.  I was completely lost.  The shock of the news sent me spinning and I didn’t have a…

Secret Treasure It was the early sixties, and like many ten-year-olds, I had a collection.  I remember my friends' collections which included anything from a big foil ball made of chewing gum wrappers to the typical horde of marbles or rocks.  One…

When I was going through my cancer treatments, I received an assortment of beautiful flower arrangements, thoughtful cards, chocolates, and a floppy grey teddy bear.  Each gift brought a smile to my face and warmed my weary heart.  As time…

One of the most rewarding outcomes of writing and publishing The Cancer Effect is to hear my journey has helped someone.  Today I got to witness this first hand. I had just finished eating lunch with my friend, Sue.  We…

Joy.  Pure joy.  That’s the only way I know how to describe the feeling I had when my newborn baby girl was placed in my arms.  I instantly fell in love and have remained in love for forty years and…

"My name is Debbie.  I am a lung cancer survivor.  I was diagnosed in 2010 with non-small cell lung cancer.  It doesn’t matter what kind of cancer we are dealing with, we all experience the emotional trauma of the disease…

“When I learned that I had cancer, I was shocked.  When I was told that I would need a mastectomy, I was frightened.  When Dr. K, the oncologist to whom I had been referred by my surgeon, announced that I…

For those of you fortunate enough to have never met the Cancer Demon, let me introduce you.  He (I assume it’s a “he”), lies silently in wait until another victim is diagnosed with cancer.  This shrewd character tip toes in…

I’m avoiding the traditional formality of making New Year's resolutions.  I’m done with that. Trying to come up with an improvement plan for an entire year doesn’t work for me.  The best part is I’ve finally come to terms with…

Gingerbread houses.  I tried to get out of making them this year, however forty-three years of tradition is not easily tossed aside.  Amidst the protests, I succumbed and began gathering molasses, flour, sugar, and spices. What was I thinking?  Did…