On the last day of my radiation for Stage 3 breast cancer, I knew I wanted to help others like me get through treatment. I realized how.

There was no resource on the web that gave tips on how to get through surgery, chemo and radiation. I decided to share the information I collected on my blog, grace + ease.

In October, Breast Cancer Awareness month, I posted one thing every day that helped me through each phase of treatment. I was honest, open and heartfelt cataloguing the posts making them easier to find.

Grace and Ease was something I continually asked for from friends and family in my treatment updates.

• Grace so that I wouldn’t slide into victimhood or self-pity.
• Ease so that treatment would go smoothly. My daughter was 3. Being a 42-year-old mom with a toddler was hard enough. Adding cancer treatment felt overwhelming.

Both were granted to me. I figured if I needed Grace and Ease, maybe others did too.

Inspired by a necklace my husband and daughter gave me to get through treatment, I created the grace + ease necklace.

On the front a lotus flower. On the back an inscription that reads, grace & ease. You can learn more about the necklaces here. A portion of sales goes to the Cancer Support Program at UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill.

My mission has evolved from helping people with breast cancer to helping people heal. What I’ve discovered on my journey is we could all use a little grace and ease from time to time.