As I step into 2026, I find myself returning again and again to three simple words. Those words are kindness, gratitude, and courage. They aren’t new concepts. They aren’t complicated. But they have become the compass points guiding how I want to show up in the world, how I want to lead, and how I want to serve the breast cancer community that has shaped my life in ways I never could have imagined.
These three words have carried me through seasons of uncertainty, moments of profound connection, and the quiet, steady work of advocacy. They have grounded me when the world felt heavy and lifted me when I needed reminding that hope is not naïve. Hope is necessary. And as I look toward the year ahead, they feel more necessary than ever.
Kindness: The Quiet Energy that is Transformative and Contagious
Kindness is often underestimated because it’s gentle. It doesn’t demand attention or applause. It doesn’t shout. But kindness has a power that is both transformative and contagious.
In the breast cancer community, kindness is not a soft skill, it’s a survival skill. It’s the nurse who takes an extra moment to explain a procedure or the surgeon who listens without rushing. Kindness in action is the survivor who reaches out to someone newly diagnosed and says, “You’re not alone.” It’s the caregiver who shows up day after day, even when they’re exhausted.
Kindness is also the way we speak to ourselves. Too many patients carry guilt, fear, or frustration about their bodies, their decisions, or their healing. I’ve learned that kindness toward oneself is often the hardest form of kindness to practice and the most liberating.
In 2026, I want to lead with kindness that is intentional, active, and expansive. Kindness that makes room for people’s stories. Kindness that softens the edges of difficult conversations. This gentle word, kindness, reminds us we are all doing the best we can with what we have.
Gratitude: The Anchor That Keeps Me Grounded
Gratitude has been my teacher. It has shown me how to hold joy and sorrow at the same time. Gratitude has helped me see abundance even in seasons of loss. And it has deepened my appreciation for the people who make this work possible.
I am grateful for the survivors who trust us with their stories. For the physicians who believe in patient‑centered care. To the caregivers who give so much of themselves. As our son, one of my caregivers so eloquently stated at the 2025 DiepCFoundation Breast Symposium
If you’re a medical professional, know that the caregiver is part of your team. They are here to support your patients in ways you’ll never see. Where your job ends, their job starts.
For the volunteers who show up with open hearts. For the sponsors and supporters, who understand that advocacy is not a luxury but a lifeline.
Gratitude doesn’t erase the challenges of this work, but it reframes them. It reminds me why this mission matters. It reminds me that progress is built on relationships, not perfection. And it reminds me that even small acts of support can ripple outward in ways we may never fully see.
In 2026, I want to practice gratitude not just as a feeling, but as a form of action that is expressed, shared, and lived.
Courage: The Fire That Moves Us Forward
Courage is not the absence of fear. It’s the decision to move forward despite it.
I see courage every day in this community. In the woman who chooses reconstruction after years of uncertainty. I see courage in the patient who asks hard questions about her options. In the survivor who speaks publicly about her experience, others feel less alone. Courage is seen in the clinician who challenges outdated norms to advocate for better care.
Courage is also required in advocacy. It takes courage to push for change, to challenge systems, to speak truth with compassion, and to stand firm in the belief that patients deserve better, better information, better access, better support.
For me, courage in 2026 means continuing to build spaces where patients feel empowered. It means elevating survivor voices. It means having honest conversations about what healing really looks like. And it means trusting that even when the path ahead is uncertain, the mission is worth every step.
A Compass for the Year Ahead
Kindness. Gratitude. Courage.
These three words are not resolutions. They are reminders daily in a steady, and deeply human way. Kindness, gratitude, and courage are the values I want to embody in every interaction, every project, every event, and every moment of connection in the year ahead.
If you’re reading this, I hope you’ll carry your own three words into 2026. I would love for you to share those words that ground you, guide you, and help you show up as the truest version of yourself. And if our paths cross this year, I hope you feel the kindness, gratitude, and courage that continue to shape my heart and my work.
Here’s to a year guided by purpose, connection, and the quiet strength that lives within us all.
Terri, this is such a grounding and thoughtful reflection. Kindness, gratitude, and courage feel like steady values you return to again and again, especially when things feel uncertain.
Hello Marie and Happy New Year to you! Thank you for your kindness to the breast cancer community throughout the year. I am grateful!
~ Terri