"How do you handle the stress?"

People say all the time, "I don't know how you do it, I couldn't do all that, it is too stressful! How do you do it? You are brave."

To that I say, I am not really brave, others have put their stories out there before me and theirs are way more painful and personal. I have read those stories and they are the ones that have inspired me to be strong and share. Without those women and their encouragement, strength and words of wisdom, I couldn't do it.

I am lucky to have gotten to know a few women who have gone through the same thing and they have had success and those women give me hope. I hang on to that hope each day and when the stress and worry get too much, I run or if I can't run, I take photography hikes. I took the photo on the front page of this blog. It is of my cousin's little girls. We did a whole photo shoot and I smiled the whole time. It was so much fun and they were great little models! Not once did I stress over anything else.

These two things keep me going and of course I do them both with my best fur friend, Maizie. When the world feels like it is crashing down around me, she jumps up and wags her tail and gives me a million and one slobbery dog kisses and I can't help but smile.

Last but not least, the people around me hold me up. If I couldn't laugh with friends, co workers and family, the world would be a much darker place. Thank you!