In The Race of Your Life, you walk readers through your experience living with interstitial lung disease and share the faith that is bringing you through each day. Why was this an important book for you to write?

I wrote this book because when I was looking for help in coping with my diagnosis, I could not find the kind of encouragement I needed. Everything I came across focused on statistics and prognosis, and honestly, it felt cold and hopeless. I wanted something that spoke to the heart, something that reminded me there could still be joy, peace, and purpose in the middle of a hard diagnosis. That is why writing this book mattered so much to me. I wanted to encourage both myself and others to look beyond the numbers, hold on to the goodness of God, trust His timing, and remember that even when so much feels out of our control, we still have a choice in how we respond.

I appreciate the candid nature with which you share your story. What was the most difficult thing for you to write about?

The hardest thing for me to write about was getting my diagnosis alone in the hospital during COVID-19. I did not fully realize how much that moment had stayed with me until I began writing it down. As I wrote, I cried because it brought back the fear, the loneliness, and the feeling of being abandoned in that moment. But it also became a place of healing for me. In the middle of writing, I was reminded that I was never truly alone. God sustained me through that scary time and protected me from COVID-19 during the first two years of my journey.

The book blends memoir with practical spiritual guidance. How did you decide on that structure?

When I first wrote the draft, it was very chronological and straightforward. I was simply telling the story as it happened. But a friend of mine challenged me, saying I had more to offer than just the timeline of events. She reminded me that I am a Marine, a teacher, and a woman of strong faith, and that those parts of who I am shaped not only how I lived this journey, but also how I could share it with others. I took time to reflect on that and asked myself how I would tell this story if I were sitting across from someone who needed encouragement. That is what led me to blend memoir with practical spiritual guidance. I wanted the book to feel like a conversation, filled with honesty, hope, and the most heartfelt advice I could give.

What advice would you give to people who want to support a loved one with a chronic illness but aren’t sure how?

My advice would be to simply be there for them without overwhelming them. Your presence matters, but sometimes saying less and listening more can mean everything. Try not to feel like you have to fix every hard thing they share, because sometimes they are not looking for solutions, they just need a safe place to vent and be honest. One of the greatest gifts you can give is to be yourself around them. People living with chronic illness still long for normalcy, genuine connection, and the comfort of being treated like themselves, not just like their condition.

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