God is the original king of comedy (no shade to Uncle Steve and ‘nem) and after reading this book about my breast cancer journey, you will understand why I feel this way. From ironic timing to bad professional decisions to personal losses, I refused to see that God is laughing at all of my plans and guiding me to where He wants me to be. It took a complete breakdown and a whole ass conversation with God about my purpose for me to start laughing at my messed-up situation.

And then, I discovered Clarence, a 2.8 cm tumor in my left breast.

After earning my doctorate, I was expected to be a thought leader, someone who would be sought-after for my opinion on deep discourse, which would lead to requests to speak at conferences, sit on panels, and contribute published works. The expectations people had of me were daunting, but I was excited and nervous about what was next for me. I believed my doctoral degree would guarantee me a comfortable life. I let people’s expectation of me define me and order my steps when I should have looked to God for guidance.