Cancer: The Wildfire that Ripped Through My Life
I’ve been a fan of Wildfire Magazine ever since I participated in a free pop-up writing workshop last year. I loved it so much, I signed up for Wildfire’s writing class called Sparks. I’ve stayed in touch with this wonderful community on social media and recently submitted a creative essay for publication. I’m 80 days into the Hello, Fears 100 Day Challenge, and figured, why not me?
Drum roll please… I was selected! I’m officially a published author in a magazine by and for people “too young” with breast cancer.
My copy is on the way in the mail and I cannot wait to see it IN PRINT! This is a bucket list item for little ole high school journalism nerd Sara, and I’m so happy to fulfill this for for her. I would LOVE for you to check out my work, and many other authors in the130+ page issue. It’s themed the “New Normal,” a subject I and many others know all too well. Get your copy here and use code WILDFIRE15.
Ekkkk I’m so excited!!! And I’m for sure framing this STUNNING cover. It captures the “new normal” so perfectly (and reminds me of my adventures with First Descents this past summer).
PROMPT: Have you ever experienced a (metaphorical) wildfire in your life? What came after the destruction? Are you better for it or not?
I don’t usually do this because these prompts are for YOU, but I had to answer this one.
“Maybe everything in life feels like it’s burning down around you because… it needs to.” Early into my chemotherapy journey (when ya girl was mentally unwell AF), a therapist told me that. At first, I recoiled and thought, there’s nothing about my life that needs to burn down. I liked my life before cancer A LOT. Get this fire away from me.
But as nature shows us, wildfires can sometimes be good for the environment (and metaphorically, my life).
Smaller fires can actually prevent bigger ones from occurring. My life translation -> Me catching my cancer at the most inconvenient time (I was supposed to be 30, flirty and thriving), but yet catching it at stage one, a factor that can be a tipping point when it comes to surviving cancer.
They can remove any potential fuel like dry leaves, logs, and overgrown shrubs. My life translation -> If my ego was ever potential fuel to my fire, whew baby, it’s been burned down.
Sometimes wildfires aren’t not hot enough to damage the established trees, but are still hot enough to rid the forest floor. My life translation -> My core values and identities never left me (being a sister, wife, friend, naturally positive person), yet some values did burn away that I’m better off for losing.
On this week’s podcast, I had the honor of interviewing the Founder & Editor-in-Chief of Wildfire Magazine, April Johnson Stearns. I know I say this about every guest, but this is one of my favs. Take a listen to our conversation here.
