Motivated by Milestones
By John Bach
Greta and Logan will be married at Historic White Oak Farm on Sept. 24.
Among the early fears when Julie was diagnosed last summer was the possibility that breast cancer might spoil Greta’s wedding. Even the thought of it weighed heavily on Julie’s mind.
It wasn’t particularly surprising to me that she would immediately jump to a scenario where her cancer might diminish such a special celebration. That’s what Moms like her do. They put their kids’ needs ahead of everything else — including their health. And Mom guilt, as it turns out, doesn’t take a break despite disease.
Carrying the burden of cancer is already too much to ask, but shouldering the burden of how cancer might harm your family is a crushing weight no one should have to bear. Yet, so many do.
When breast cancer showed up 14 months ago, there was even the tragic thought that Julie’s front-row seat at the ceremony could be empty. Then, when doctors started to get their head around Julie’s diagnosis — Stage 2 Triple Negative Breast Cancer — they began to chart out her treatment plan. And she began to do the math.
On one side of the equation was everything she would need to go through: Chemo, surgeries, possible radiation, immunotherapy. And on the other side of the equation was Sept. 24, 2022, Greta and Logan’s wedding date.
As we draw within days of the ceremony, Julie is now “cancer free.” She has endured months of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, a hysterectomy and multiple other procedures to arrive at this point. And with each stage of treatment, I’ve seen her recalculate the equation — even pausing procedures and flat out telling her doctors, “that’s not going to work, I have my daughter’s wedding in September.”
This wedding will, no doubt, be an incredible milestone for our family, but it has also served as a powerful motivator for the mother of the bride. Julie’s road to recovery is still miles long, but we are so thankful for this joy-filled rest stop.
Greta and Logan will marry on Saturday, Sept. 24. Photo/Brooke Townsend
