(½) “My mother was literally a drill sergeant. And my father was Olympic level karate. So between the two of them, there was always someone pushing me to be better. I grew up with this competitive thing inside me that always wanted to be the best. And that carried into adulthood. By the time Logan was born, I was working sixty hour weeks. She was born on a Tuesday, and I was back at work on Thursday. My husband did everything. I’d come home, give the baby a kiss, then shut the office door. I told myself that I needed to work a little harder, get a little more security, then later on I could stop and enjoy life. But that time never came. Because each time I reached a goal, I’d increase it a little more. When Logan turned three, I was diagnosed with brain cancer. At the time they told me ten years. We’re on year six right now. All my scans are clear. The tumor is still there, but it’s not growing. Who knows what will happen. But I do know that without the cancer, my little girl would have grown up without me. I’d have been around, but not there. We’d never be sitting in this park right now. So I’ve come to believe that everything happens for a reason. I was never afraid of dying. Even in the beginning. But I was always terrified of leaving her. And that fear changed everything.”
