Exactly four years ago today, I went to urgent care to deal with a “cold” and instead discovered a grapefruit sized mass in my chest, which marked the beginning of my cancer journey. Nothing could have prepared me for that day, or for the months that followed; it was the darkest and most difficult period of my life. Now that I am mostly on the other side, I can look back on that time and feel some gratitude, because it was only through that experience that I could gain the level of appreciation and clarity that I have today.
My grandfather, who faced his share of significant challenges (health and otherwise) throughout his life, once opined, “No hay mal que por bien no venga,” which loosely translates to, “No bad things happen were it not that some good was to come of it.” Every cloud has a silver lining. It has since become a mantra for my extended family during challenging times. There are valuable lessons and/or gifts that we can derive from even the hardest days and events.
Since that day, my gratitude for my career and the community that I’ve built here and on Instagram has expanded exponentially. My work has allowed me to transform my pain into purpose - I want to share everything I know about food, healing and wellness with you so that we can all lead better, healthier, more fulfilling lives. You not only allow me to turn my life’s greatest passions into my job, but you are an incredibly supportive, respectful, intelligent and curious group of people. Many of you have privately messaged me, sharing your incredibly brave stories of cancer and chronic illness. You have a deep desire to feed yourself and your family better. You share my deep love and appreciation for the natural world. You are my people! Your challenges and aspirations are what push me to keep doing what I do, and expand my offerings to help on a more profound level. I am inspired and humbled by you daily, and feel so lucky that you want to listen to what I have to say.
I hope you woke up today feeling safe, loved and hopeful. I hope you are surrounded by people who love and care for you, and have a delicious meal to look forward to. I hope you had a chance to step outside and take a deep breath of fresh air and feel gratitude for your life and blessings, both big and small.
Thank you for supporting me and my work - I am so grateful for you and the opportunity to serve you.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Lauren
PS - I have a new podcast episode out with my friends at Switch4Good - you can listen here! I talk all about plant-based holidays, cancer healing, sober curiosity, toxic momfluencer culture, and more. It’s a good one!
PPS - If you’re interested in having full access to my posts and other exclusive benefits, my “Black Friday” promotion is coming to an end this Saturday, 11/25. You’ll get 25% off new annual subscriptions and my sincerest thanks for your steadfast support. Subscribe here!