The Story Stand 11-11-11 The Day Everything Changed

Some dates stay with us forever. For me, that date is November 11, 2011—11-11-11.

That was the day I heard three words that changed my life: "You have cancer."

In this deeply personal episode, I'm introducing The Story Stand, a new Thursday feature on The Edit With Holly Totten Writing, Editing, Publishing, where I'll share real stories about real life—some mine, some from others. Stories that make us laugh, cry, think, and sometimes see life a little differently.

I'm kicking things off with the story of my breast cancer diagnosis, a dropped phone call at the worst possible moment, an unexpected stop at the town's only liquor store, and a Friday night at the theatre when I was there in body but certainly not in mind.

Along the way, I'll share what it was like to hear a diagnosis I had somehow already suspected, how my eternal optimism helped me face the uncertainty, and the words my husband said that have stayed with me for almost fifteen years.

This isn't a story about medical treatments or statistics. It's about the moments we remember, the ones we forget, and the people who stand beside us when life changes in an instant.

So pull up a chair and welcome to The Story Stand, where stories don't have to be perfect. They just have to be worth telling.