Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Planning for Life’s Unknowns with Care

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and this one is personal. This coming spring, my mom will be a five-year breast cancer survivor. That milestone means more to me and my family than words can fully capture. And I’ll never forget the sound of my mom ringing the bell at the end of her final treatment or all the doctors and nurses who lined the hallway to clap and cheer. I do all I can each and every day to not take her or our time together for granted because I know she was one of the lucky ones.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a reminder of the importance of awareness, early detection, support, treatment, research, and hope. It is also a reminder that behind every pink ribbon is a person, a family, a story, and a community of people who love them. It is also a reminder that the unknowns in life, including a diagnosis like cancer, can unfortunately appear at any time.

Estate planning is not about expecting the worst. It is about preparing for the unknown with thoughtfulness and care. If something unexpected happened, would the people you trust have legal authority to help you? Would someone be able to make financial or healthcare decisions for you if you could not? Would your loved ones know your wishes if you became incapacitated or passed away?

Those are not easy questions, but they are important ones.

This month, I am especially grateful for my mom, for the medical professionals who care for patients through frightening and uncertain seasons, and for the families and friends who show up with love, meals, rides, prayers, encouragement, and steady support.

Awareness matters. Screenings matter. Support matters. Hope matters. Planning matters too.

To the survivors, those currently in treatment, those newly diagnosed, those grieving someone they love, and the families walking alongside them: you are seen, you are supported, and you are not alone.