The Faces of Transparency - Why I Wrote My Story
Empowerment comes from being real about what we've been through
Insights for Empowerment
For much of my life, I wore masks. I smiled when I was hurting. I stayed silent when I was struggling. I pushed through pain as if it didn’t exist.
I thought that was strength.
But cancer taught me something different: true strength isn’t in pretending to have it all together. It’s in having the courage to be real.
That’s why I wrote The Faces of Transparency.
My Mother’s Story
My mother faced breast cancer in her 40s and survived. She had her left breast removed. But she didn’t talk about it much.
She came from a generation where women carried their pain quietly. After losing her own mother at just 13, she had to figure it out alone with the strength she knew: survival.
Silence wasn’t weakness for her. It was strength. It was her way of holding her family together.
But that silence meant I grew up not knowing my full family history. Not understanding my risk. Not knowing what questions to ask.
Breaking the Cycle
My mother fought in silence. I choose to fight out loud.
Not to criticize her generation, but to build bridges for the next one.
I want my granddaughters and every woman reading this to have what so many women before us didn’t have: information, courage, community, hope.
The Many Faces of Transparency
Transparency looks different for everyone. For me, it meant:
Sharing my diagnosis journey
Talking about the surgery and recovery
Being honest about the emotional toll
Showing my scars (literally and figuratively)
Admitting when I wasn’t okay
Celebrating when I was
It meant letting people see all of me—not just the polished version.
Why It Matters
Transparency breaks shame. It creates connection. It gives permission for others to be real too.
When we share our stories, we remind each other: you’re not alone. You’re not broken. You’re not weak for struggling.
You’re human. And that’s enough.
Conclusion
The Faces of Transparency is my story. But it’s also yours. Because we all wear masks sometimes. We all carry pain we don’t share. We all pretend we’re fine when we’re not.
This book is my invitation to take the mask off. To be real. To walk in truth.
Because empowerment doesn’t come from pretending. It comes from being transparent about what we’ve been through and finding strength in the sharing.
The book is available now. If my story resonates with you, I hope you’ll read it. And I hope it reminds you that your story matters too.
Encouraging Nuggets
What Transparency Taught Me:
Hiding doesn’t protect you—it imprisons you
Your story can be someone else’s survival guide
Vulnerability is courage, not weakness
Healing happens when we share, not when we hide
Get the Book: The Faces of Transparency is available now. It’s my full story—from childhood to cancer, from pain to purpose.