The problem with being a writer is that I only want to share the perfect words. But how can I describe something as heartbreaking as my mother’s death? What words are worthy of the beautiful life my mother lived? Sunday morning, after consulting with our weekend nurse from Hospice, Daddy made the difficult decision to move… [Read More]
Giving Myself Grace for My Incomplete Goals
My mom’s terminal cancer is teaching me a surprising amount about myself. I am often harder on myself than I am on other people. When wielded well, my standards and ambition drive me to success. When brandished as a weapon, I become my own worst enemy. If you have been reading Belle Brita for at… [Read More]
When Life Continues to Be Hard
For possibly the first time in my life, I’m at a loss for words. More than two weeks ago, my parents called me with the worst news of my life. My mom’s cancer is terminal. There’s nothing else the doctors can do for her. How do I write about this? How do I explain how… [Read More]
#EmpireGoGold for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
In the Long family, we tend to focus our energies and awareness-building on Crohn’s Disease, which I’ve had for more than 20 years, and on brain cancer, which both my twin brother and my mom have. But I also try to advocate for causes that don’t affect me directly, like childhood cancer. Back in May,… [Read More]