Brooke Liening

Co-Survivor

My Mom, My Role Model

This morning, I woke up and was almost in tears. I don’t know if I’m getting emotional because the Holidays are coming up or I was just having a typical girl moment. I woke up today thanking God for my mom. I was thanking him for two things: blessing me with her as my mother and curing her from cancer. I was 13 when my mom got diagnosed with cancer. I remember answering the doctors phone call with the results and balling my eyes out when I heard them say “the lab results came in and it is cancer”. At such a young age, I didn’t know much about what was going on. All I really knew was cancer killed people. I thought God was taking my mom away from me and I didn’t know why. Why her? Why my family? Why not someone else? Now that my mom and family have experienced the painful, difficult, confusing road of cancer, I understand why God chose my mom. He knew she could make it. She had all the faith in the world. We all did. Family, friends, neighbors…they were all lending a helping hand, cooking us meals, and praying for her recovery. The support system my mom had behind her was unbelievable. She was strong enough to accept what was happening for what it really was. She was prepared to face it head on and put up a fight. She went through multiple surgeries, chemotherapy treatments, and losing not just her hair but also a big part of her. Through it all she kept her faith, stayed strong, never let her smile leave her face, never asked “why me?”, and kept God at the center of it all. He could’ve taken my mom away from me at any given moment…but he didn’t. I have so much adoration and respect for my mom and what she has gone through. I’ve learned quite a bit going through such an experience with my mom and family at such a young age. You’re not invincible; No one is. Your life might be all together one moment then turned upside down by a simple phone call. You can never say “I love you” too much. You just never know when its your last opportunity. It is okay to accept help. Sometimes, you just can’t do it by yourself. Crying is acceptable at all ages (even for men). You need to stay positive, regardless of the circumstances. Family and friends are a blessing. They are right behind you every step of the way. Faith and hope can work wonders. Cancer does not discriminate – race, color, sex, religion. And lastly, God is good.