Many of us have cancer on our minds these days. Stand Up 2 Cancer debuts its third network-wide, commercial-free broadcast on September 7. The message couldn't be clearer: One out of two men and one out of three women will receive a cancer diagnosis in their lifetimes. There is no running from the disease.
In my case, my handsome, young husband died of a brain tumor in 2004, leaving me alone with toddler twins at the crossroads of new life and premature death. Since that unimaginable time, I have worked to create a different identity. In 2006, I left Manhattan for the sunny, open skies of Colorado, where some months later, I took a chance on love again with a local television anchor named Steve whose experience was similar to mine. His wife had died of pancreatic cancer when their boys were 10 and 11.
My new husband and I consider ourselves wildly lucky to have found one another and to have blended our families. Still, not a day goes by that we don't acknowledge the mysterious ways the past lives among us. This is what I understand: My story may be unique to me but the human experiences of loss and life and love are as universal as the stars.
I'm pleased to share my family's story on this video:
In the next few weeks, Stand up 2 Cancer will also feature an excerpt of my memoir, Both Sides Now, Stay tuned. We're on this journey together.