Checking Off Dreams While Fighting for Tomorrow

It has been a while since I last sat down and wrote here. The last post was on February 14, and I have felt that gap more than I expected. Writing has always been an outlet for me. It has been a place where I process everything, where I tell the truth about what this journey feels like, and where I remind myself why I keep going. So stepping away from it was not because I had nothing to say. It was because I was deep in something else. Something that mattered just as much.

I have been working toward my Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management.

And today, I can finally say that I did it.

That sentence feels surreal. It is one of those moments where you pause and really try to take it in. Because this was not just about school. This was not just about checking off a degree. This was about proving something to myself. It was about continuing to move forward when everything in life tried to slow me down.

When I was first diagnosed with brain cancer, specifically Glioblastoma, everything changed overnight. I was given a timeline. I was given fear. I was given uncertainty. But what I refused to give up was momentum.

I still remember emailing my instructors the day before my craniotomy. Let that sink in for a second. The day before brain surgery, I was asking for extensions so I could keep up with my coursework. That might sound insane to some people. And maybe it was. But in that moment, I knew something important.

Cancer was not going to take everything from me.

I had already started my Associate’s degree when I was diagnosed. And even after being told I had limited time, I pushed forward. I studied. I wrote papers. I showed up mentally even when my body was exhausted. Even when fear sat in the background of every single day.

And I finished it.

That alone felt like a victory. A huge one. A moment where I could have said, “Okay, that is enough. You did something incredible.” And honestly, part of me did feel that way. When it came time to think about pursuing my Bachelor’s degree, I hesitated.

I questioned it.

I asked myself if it made sense. I asked myself if I had the energy. I asked myself if it was worth it given everything I was facing.

But there was another voice inside of me. A louder one.

It said, “Keep going.”

So I did.

And I will be honest, it was not easy. There were moments of doubt. There were moments where I felt completely drained. There were moments where I wondered if I had taken on too much. But I kept showing up. One assignment at a time. One test at a time. One long night at a time.

Because this was never just about school.

This was about fighting.

Fighting for normalcy. Fighting for purpose. Fighting for a future that I refused to let go of.

And now here I am, holding a Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management.

Another bucket list item checked off.

Another reminder that I am still here.

Another reminder that I am still capable.

Another reminder that this fight is not over.

Today is also an important day for another reason. I am going in for my MRI. And if you have ever been in this position, you know what that brings. There is always that underlying anxiety. That quiet voice in your head that wonders what the results will say.

But today, I am choosing something different.

I am choosing belief.

I am choosing to believe that it will be positive. I am choosing to believe that I will continue to thrive. I am choosing to believe that I am not done yet.

Because here is the truth that I have learned through all of this.

Cancer will try to take your future away from you. It will try to shrink your world down to appointments, scans, and uncertainty. It will try to make you feel like you are living in a constant state of waiting.

But you do not have to accept that.

You can still build.

You can still dream.

You can still move forward.

That is what this degree represents for me. It is not just a piece of paper. It is proof that even in the middle of chaos, you can still create something meaningful. It is proof that even when life feels fragile, you can still take control of your path.

And I think that is something we all need to hold onto.

Whether you are fighting cancer yourself, supporting someone who is, or just facing your own battles in life, forward movement matters. It does not have to be huge. It does not have to be perfect. It just has to exist.

One step.

Then another.

Then another.

That is how you keep going.

I also want to acknowledge something else. The time away from writing. It was not easy stepping back from something that has become such a big part of my life. But I needed to focus. I needed to give everything I had to finishing this degree. And now that I have, I feel like I can come back here with even more to share.

More honesty.

More reflection.

More real moments.

Because that is what this space has always been about.

And if there is one thing I want you to take from this, it is this:

Do not let your circumstances define your limits.

I was told I had eight months to live.

And yet, I completed my Associate’s degree.

I went on to earn my Bachelor’s degree.

I built a brand.

I continued to live.

I continued to fight.

And I am still here.

That does not mean every day is easy. It does not mean fear disappears. It does not mean uncertainty goes away. But it does mean that you have more control than you think.

You can choose to keep going.

You can choose to build something.

You can choose to believe in a future, even when it feels uncertain.

And that is exactly what I am doing.

Today, I walk into my MRI with strength. With belief. With momentum. Not as someone who is waiting for an outcome, but as someone who is actively living their life.

Because I am not done.

Not even close.

And neither are you.

So whatever you are facing right now, keep moving forward. Keep fighting. Keep building. Keep believing.

Because every step you take is a victory.

And those victories add up.

They create a life.

They create a story.

They create something worth holding onto.

Just like this moment.

Just like this degree.

Just like this fight.