When I was in middle school, I'd spend hours sitting in a dark closet in my bedroom on the phone with my cousin. We'd gab about our crushes, using their secret code names. We'd share funny stories about our families. She was someone who I could rely on to make me laugh.

Last year, my cousin was that person for me again. But this time, I was sitting in a chemo chair with an IV in my arm and a freezing cold cap strapped to my head to preserve my hair follicles. My diagnosis of breast cancer hit me like a rogue wave. But my cousin was there with me, holding my hand and making me smile.

Getting cancer at 34 was shocking and life-changing. But through it all, I never felt alone. The people in my life were there for me in so many different ways. Their steady support kept me going.

It can be h

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