A Love Story Worth Protecting: The Most Important Thing You Can Do for the Women You Love

Life is full of disruptions—some expected, others blindsiding us in the middle of the busiest season of our lives. As a small business owner, a wife, and a woman navigating this unexpected journey, I want to highlight the love stories we share with the women in our lives and the importance of taking action to protect them.

I was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer on February 4, thanks to a routine mammogram. I had no symptoms, no family history, no warning signs. My tumor was deep, close to the chest wall—impossible to feel, even after I knew it was there. Mammograms save lives. They find what we cannot. And yet, so many women delay or avoid them altogether.

This diagnosis has disrupted everything—our business, our home, our carefully laid plans for spring. At Hosta Heaven, we were gearing up for another season of growth, curating new varieties, growing thousands of young plants for avid and casual gardeners. But instead of focusing on our plants, updating our blog, sharing on social media and connecting with our community, I’ve been making medical appointments, processing a diagnosis, and bracing for months of treatment.

I ask for grace in this season of life

Spring is a season of renewal, of life bursting forth. And yet, right as everything should be coming to life, I am forced to slow down. My husband, who carries the weight of so much of our nursery operations, will now also carry the weight of my absence in certain roles. We will navigate this season as best we can, but I ask for grace from our community, our gardening friends, as we juggle the demands of business with the realities of treatment.

But this isn’t about business—it’s about love. The love stories that sustain us. The love stories that define our lives.

We love our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, cousins, daughters, and friends. We cherish them, lean on them, celebrate them. And yet, many of them—too many—put off the simple, potentially life-saving step of scheduling a mammogram. If you love the women in your life, talk to them. Ask if they’re up to date on their mammogram. Urge them to schedule the screening that could save them and your own love story.

My diagnosis has already led to a close family member and a professional colleague scheduling their overdue mammograms. That matters. There’s probably nothing to find beyond the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’re clear. When a screening mammogram finds something, it could be life saving. Every life saved is one more love story that will continue, disrupted a bit, yet uninterrupted because of early detection.

I hope that through sharing my experience, there will be many more who schedule their mammograms, maybe as many as those who have shared their stories with me, creating new bonds and new friendships.

h. 'Remember Me'

In the plant world, I have searched for a special hosta called ‘Remember Me,’ a variety that was named in honor of Sandy De Boer, a worker in the hosta house at Walters Gardens. Breast cancer ended Sandy’s love story. I learned about her hosta a couple of years ago when a portion of the sales went to breast cancer research.

I don't know much of Sandy's story, but I know that, today, most breast cancer cases don't need to be a life sentence. Cancer research has led to treatments that, while not easy, are targeted to the type and attributes of the cancer. When caught early we cure breast cancer. There's every reason to believe that I and many others will survive.

It's about love

I’ve been thinking—this journey isn’t just about disruption, challenge, or a battle. It’s about love. It’s about the relationships that shape us and the resilience we find in them. The love stories we carry forward, even through illness and uncertainty. 

I’ve felt the love and prayers envelop me as I’ve shared my news, which is truly about the best news possible with a breast cancer finding. There’s a grief in this disruption to something so deeply personal to who we are. Sometimes defiance too. But love remains. And love is what carries us through. Is that overly sentimental? Maybe, and it's how I feel.  

That's why another hosta caught my attention: Love Story from the Proven Winners Shadowland Collection. She's a beauty, female for sure. Each leaf is as unique as the many women in our lives. We'll be doing something special with our Love Story hostas and you'll hear more in the coming weeks.

h. 'Love Story'

Saving our love stories

Today, I ask for two things: first, grace as we navigate this disruption in our life and our small family business. Second—and more importantly—I ask you to act. Schedule your mammogram. Talk to the women in your life. Encourage them. Support them. Because love in all its forms is worth protecting.

Let love bloom, even in the midst of disruption. And keep living your love stories.

Here’s my breast cancer awareness tip for all of you. Screening mammograms are the most valuable tool we have. Schedule your mammogram. If you’re not yet ready, or aren't sure you really need to, try the Tyrer-Cuzick Risk Assessment Calculator and know that my lifetime risk of developing breast cancer was only 6.5% and I have breast cancer.