Connect What is the most rewarding part of being a mom?

Watching their little brains learn new things is endlessly fascinating to me. Whether it’s learning to talk & walk, or figuring out how to balance on their bike by themselves, or beating a math problem on their own for the first time, it is incredibly rewarding to be a part of guiding another human being towards adulthood & seeing all the little steps that lead that way. While mistakes can be (& have been) made at times, the overall experience has been, and will always be, amazing & rewarding.

What is one memory of your kids that you will never forget?

While there are already so many good memories made, one that will forever be stuck in my head is walking out from my last radiation treatment to ring the bell, and seeing my kids there waiting for me with huge smiles on their faces as they surprised me. I cried so hard that day—heck, I’m crying just writing about it now—because they were such a rock for me during a hard time. During a time in their life when I was supposed to care for them, they took care of me in such a beautiful way.

What would you do with $20,000?

Some would go to medical bills, & relieve some financial stress. Some would help w/ college payments. The rest I’d use on a really fun family vacation. We haven’t had 1 in a long time, & our family has been under a lot of stress recently. It was hard on my kids to watch me fight cancer, & it was hard on my husband to be caregiver & sole parent for a few months. I’d love to get away w/ them & go somewhere we’ve never been, have a fun vacation, and come back refreshed & tighter knit as a family.