“I Keep Rising”: A Mother’s Journey Through Love, Loss, and Strength

What makes you a Beautiful Disaster?

The last 20 years, I have lost so much in my life—but I’ve pulled myself up each time and raised two beautiful adult daughters.

Why do you identify with the Beautiful Disaster brand?

The words on the merchandise have spoken to me from the very first day I saw them. It feels like someone reached into my heart and head and wrote down exactly how I feel—and how I’ve felt throughout my life.

Tell Us Your Beautiful Disaster Story

Note: Name removed at storyteller’s request. Face will not be shown.

I’m a proud mother of two beautiful adult daughters. My journey has been filled with devastating losses and hard-fought victories—yet I’ve kept rising from the ashes every single time.

I met my first husband in 1993. We fell in love, moved in together, and started building our life. Our first pregnancy ended in miscarriage, but in 1998 we were blessed with our daughter. A year later, we moved into the home we had built and got married. Another miscarriage followed, and finally in 2001, our second daughter was born. During my C-section, I chose to have my tubes tied. I couldn’t bear the heartbreak of another loss.

In 2003, my husband started having severe hip and back pain. After multiple doctor visits and eventually a CT scan, they discovered a softball-sized tumor in his pelvis. He was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare and aggressive bone cancer. He fought hard, but in March 2005, he passed away at only 29 years old. Our daughters were just 3 and 6. It felt impossible to move forward—but my girls gave me the strength to get up every day.

Eventually, I started dating again, hoping to rebuild. I remarried in 2007, but by 2010, he left to return to his ex-wife in another state, leaving us behind.

In 2020, I reconnected with someone I had dated in high school—someone I had known since I was 14. He was dealing with health challenges including kidney failure, and by early 2022, he asked me to marry him. We tied the knot in July.

His health continued to decline. That fall, he caught COVID, and we ended up driving through the night to a hospital over four hours away. They discovered signs of a heart attack and began treatment, but his condition was fragile. I noticed he was bleeding and shaking, but my concerns went unaddressed. That night, I returned to the hotel. Within 30 minutes, I got a call: he was suspected to have had a stroke.

By the time I returned, it was too late. He passed away on October 25, 2023, due to a brain hemorrhage they couldn’t stop. I was in complete shock. I ran from the hospital and screamed into the night, “WHY?”

For two months, I barely left the house except for work and errands.

What happened for you to turn it around?

My daughters, their boyfriends, and my close friends helped pull me out of the darkness. My best friend made it a point to get me out of the house again—and slowly, I began to find my footing.

Name 3 things you’ve done to move closer to happiness:

1. I sold the home that belonged to my late husband and bought a brand-new home closer to my kids.

2. I started a new job in the medical field.

3. I allowed myself to feel joy again.

What is your favorite Beautiful Disaster collection, past or present, and why?

The Phoenix collection. It represents me. I’ve risen from the ashes so many times and just keep going—no matter how many times I’m knocked down.