My Answer to Cancer: Chicken Pot Pie, Corn Tortillas, & Spreading Joy

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A doctor looked me in the eye and gave me a number: two to five years. I’m not sharing that for shock value. I’m sharing it because I refuse to let a statistic become my story, especially after living with cancer for 14 years, surviving lung surgery, recurrence, and a long run on targeted therapies that eventually stopped working.

Now I’m on chemotherapy every three weeks, and the week after treatment can flatten me. I talk honestly about what that feels like and what I’m trying to do anyway: keep teaching, keep connecting, keep living. I also explain why I take prognosis timelines with a grain of salt. Medicine is real, but it’s also moving fast. Genome testing, new research, and unexpected breakthroughs can change what’s possible, and I want you to hold that hope without drifting into denial.

Then I get to what I believe is my “answer” to cancer: joy. Not the kind that shows up when life is easy, but the kind you practice on purpose. I share how a simple smile can change my whole day, why food and cooking have become a reliable source of happiness, and how small rituals give me something to look forward to even when I feel awful. Most importantly, I talk about bringing joy to other people through hosting, one-on-ones, and classes and why I believe that loving and helping people is a powerful spiritual and emotional force.

If you get something from this, subscribe, share it with someone who needs strength, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s one small joy you’re choosing this week?