Me and my sisters with the Kardashian books we got from Grandma two Christmases ago 🙂

*To skip the sentiment and get on the real reason I posted this — to share my sister’s story, click here to read it

Sisters are like best friends plus. I’m so grateful to have grown up with two of them. You can’t replicate a sisterhood with anyone else — at least I never have. So when one of your sisters is going through something hard, it hurts you too. 

When my sister, Lindsey, decided she wanted to run marathons 5 years ago, that was all I needed to feel the spark. She inspired me. Something inside of her was inside of me too. We haven’t looked back — we are still running marathons 5 years later. Different ones with very different times for different reasons — but we run. 




When my sister, Shelby Skyped me from Iraq in 2010 to tell me she was pregnant with my niece, Giovanna, I immediately felt a sense of protection. Like, get back over to America! When G was born, I loved her so much — because she was my sister’s baby and therefore, a little bit like mine. The same thing can be said of when Lindsey had my nephew, Marshall. I love him to pieces! Those kids mean so much to me — and because they belong to my sisters, they both feel a little like my own. 




There is no laughter or inside joke like the ones I share with them. We have our own way of gossiping about anything and everything. We of course bond over the funny and annoying habits of our parents (love you, Mom & Dad!) and simply put, I can’t imagine my life without them. 


Silly sisters: Me and Shelby 🙂


Why do I say all this? Well, Lindsey wrote this amazing post yesterday and I just teared up reading it. Sometimes when I read her blog, it’s like I’m getting to know parts of her I never knew before. Yesterday, she revealed to the world that she has the BRCA2 gene — which means she has an 84% chance of developing breast cancer and 27% chance for ovarian cancer at any time in her life. It’s nearly inevitable. 

It’s a beautiful piece and I want you to read about her decision. I’ll get you started with a small piece: 

I didn’t realize how emotional it would be to write this all out. I feel like I’m laying it all out there for the world to see, exposing myself in a way I’m not completely comfortable withI started to write this over a month ago and have come back to it several times. I wonder if I’m sharing too much, it’s hard to share something so personal. I didn’t realize how personal it would feel until my finger started hovering over the publish button.  

My hope is that in sharing this, it can encourage someone to face a fear; to not let fear win. 


It might have been easier if Shelby or I had been diagnosed with the gene instead. We don’t have the same extreme fears that Lindsey has had throughout life. But she is facing it with such amazing courage and faith. 

I am thankful technology exists to catch this gene — that my Mom has already had it taken care of. I’m thankful that my Grandmother has lived through cancer again and again despite having the gene. 

I’m certain that Lindsey is going to be better and stronger for this. Reading through the comments on her blog and on Facebook yesterday, it’s clear her decision to publicize this has already affected many people. 



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