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Welcome to Still I Rise, where we celebrate women who have walked through the darkest seasons and found a way to bloom again. Today, we step into the garden of Kathy Cole — a woman whose life has always been rooted in soil, color, and connection. From planting vegetables with her dad to creating Friendship Gardens in every home she’s lived in, Kathy has always believed that growth is something we share.

But in 2020, Kathy’s world shifted into a harsh winter. For months, she couldn’t clear her throat. As a mammographer, she worried — worried she might be sick, worried her coughing would alarm her patients, and worried something deeper was wrong. One sleepless night, guided by instinct, she picked up a flashlight, shined it into her mouth… and saw the tumor that would change everything.

The diagnosis was staggering: spindle-cell/sclerosing rhabdomyosarcoma, an extremely rare cancer more commonly found in males and almost never seen in adults. When she finally found a medical team who sort of knew how to treat it, they told her something unimaginable — that they could find only three cases like hers in the entire world.

What followed was a storm of surgeries, chemo, radiation, a tracheostomy, a feeding tube, and 126 days in the hospital during COVID — alone, afraid, and fighting for every breath. And yet, even in that deep winter, hope bloomed. A friend from Hawaii shared a dream of Kathy healed, wrapped with a scripture printed over a yellow dinner-plate dahlia — the flower her father once tended with pride. It became her sign that the garden wasn’t done with her yet.

With the unwavering love of her daughters, Morgan and Miranda, Kathy slowly began to root herself back into life, rebuilding her strength, her voice, and her spirit. And she learned this truth: if something isn’t growing where it is, you can move it… water it… tend it… and choose to bloom again.

This is Kathy’s Garden.
This is how she still rises.

#spindle-cell/sclerosing rhabdomyosarcoma

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Some women survive storms.
But Kelli Beckman has weathered entire skies.

For much of her life, Kelli coped by imagining herself tethered to a hot-air balloon, floating safely above the clouds. When joy called—marriage, children, a career—she’d lower her lines and touch the ground. When life hurt, she drifted back up.

But over time, her balloon developed a leak. Divorce, the death of a parent, the loss of a job, and the passing of her best friend all struck at once. And then, at just thirty-six, she heard the words no mother of four—one still a baby—ever expects: cancer. She floated through treatments, surgeries, and fear, praying for the clouds to part. They didn’t. Still, she survived.

Years later, she faced her fiercest storm: stage 4 cancer. Her doctors told her to get her affairs in order. Had she accepted that as her ending, she would have missed the life God still intended for her. She lived to see another Christmas—one she wasn’t expected to reach—and realized she hadn’t gone above the storm. She had gone through it.

One of her greatest lessons came from a friend offering to help. Kelli, fiercely independent, resisted. Her friend gently said, “When God places it on someone’s heart to help you—let them. If you don’t, you’re blocking their blessing.” That truth changed her.

More hardships followed, including the heartbreak of her husband leaving. There were more recurrences, more setbacks—but also more miracles. She watched two sons marry. She heard little voices call her “Grandma.” She saw her youngest begin college. All moments she would have missed… if she had listened to the doctors.

Kelli’s journey reminds us that faith doesn’t always lift us out of the storm—sometimes it strengthens our legs to walk through it.

And no matter how many times life tried to pull her down…

Still, she rises.

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Still I Rise features stories from You Night's STORY CRAFTING COMMUNITY. To read additional stories, visit our Facebook page:

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Welcome to the Still I Rise Podcast, where we share the stories of women who walk through the unthinkable and rise stronger on the other side.

Today, we’re honored to welcome Michele Rokes—a mother, a school nurse, and a woman whose life changed in an instant. At thirty-six, a routine appointment led to a breast cancer diagnosis. Days later, she discovered she was pregnant. And then, in a heartbreaking turn, she miscarried. The cancer remained.

What followed was a journey she never asked for—surgery, grief, and years of rebuilding. Life slowly brightened again… until, five years later, cancer returned, this time more aggressive than before. Chemotherapy took her hair, her strength, and at times her sense of self. But it never took her hope.

Supported by her family and anchored by the mantra from a beloved children’s book—“We can’t go over it. We can’t go under it. We’ve got to go through it”—Michele kept moving, step by step, through fear, pain, and profound love.

Today, she shares how that journey didn’t just lead her to survival—it transformed her.

This is Michele Rokes. And this is Still I Rise.

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Still I Rise features stories from You Night's STORY CRAFTING COMMUNITY. To read additional stories, visit our Facebook page:

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Welcome back to Still I Rise — the podcast that reminds us healing isn’t just about surviving what happened to us, but about rediscovering who we are after.

Today, we meet Kathy Burns, a woman whose story—The Fight of My Life—captures the quiet strength that follows the storm. Like so many survivors, Kathy believed the hardest part was behind her once chemo ended and surgery was over. Surrounded by love from family and friends, she thought she had everything she needed to move forward.

But something was still missing — a space where she could truly exhale. A space where grief could be released, not hidden. Through You Night, Kathy found that space — a sisterhood of women who understood the kind of tired that comes after the fight. Women who didn’t pity her, but got her. Women who held her hand as she began to heal the parts of her heart she hadn’t even realized were still aching.

This is Kathy’s story — a story of faith, courage, and the sacred power of finding your people. Because sometimes, the fight of your life leads you straight into the arms of those who remind you: you never have to rise alone.

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Still I Rise features stories from You Night's STORY CRAFTING COMMUNITY. To read additional stories, visit our Facebook page:

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Welcome back to Still I Rise — the podcast where stories of resilience remind us that even when life throws us into the steepest drops, faith, courage, and connection can carry us through.

Today’s guest is someone I affectionately call Miss Jackson — a woman whose story is as breathtaking as the ride she’s been on. Dawn Jackson has lived her life on what she calls “the rollercoaster” — a series of climbs, loops, and sudden plunges that tested her faith, her identity, and her strength. From teenage motherhood to two battles with breast cancer, Dawn’s journey is one of grit and grace — but it’s also a story about awakening. About learning that she doesn’t have to earn love to be worthy of it.

What makes Miss Jackson’s story especially powerful is her honesty about what it means to be a Black woman navigating survivorship — often without seeing herself reflected in the support groups or programs around her. Through her voice, she’s creating a bridge — helping other women of color find the information, resources, and sisterhood they deserve. Because no one should face the ride alone.

In this episode, we talk about what it means to reclaim your worth, to rediscover your faith, and to use your pain as purpose. We also talk about the responsibility — and the opportunity — to use your voice to lift others who may feel unseen.

So buckle up. This is the story of a woman who faced the scariest drops, held on through the dark tunnels, and somehow found her peace in the freefall.

This is My Life on the Rollercoaster — with Dawn Jackson.

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Still I Rise features stories from You Night's STORY CRAFTING COMMUNITY. To read additional stories, visit our Facebook page:

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Today on Still I Rise, we meet a woman whose story reminds us that sometimes, life’s most unexpected storms reveal the deepest strength within us.

Before cancer, Alicia walked what she calls “a well-marked trail.” She planned her steps carefully, trusted in her faith, and believed that with enough preparation, she could stay safe and steady. But then came the flood — a sudden, life-altering diagnosis that swept away her sense of control and forced her to face her deepest fears.

What Alicia discovered in that flood was not defeat, but deliverance. She learned that faith isn’t about staying dry — it’s about trusting the One who keeps you afloat when the waters rise. Her story is a testimony of courage, surrender, and gratitude — a reminder that even when life divides us into “before” and “after,” God is faithful through it all.

And there’s something else beautiful about Alicia’s journey — her deep gratitude for her husband, Craig. In a world where illness sometimes divides, Craig stood firm. He became her anchor, her steady companion when the ground gave way. So tonight, as we celebrate Alicia’s story, we also honor the men like Craig — those silent warriors who stand by their women, who love through fear, and whose faithfulness becomes part of the healing itself.

Alicia’s story is called “Fear Is Not My Future,” and her words will leave you believing that even when the floodwaters rise — grace will always carry you through.

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Still I Rise features stories from You Night's STORY CRAFTING COMMUNITY. To read additional stories, visit our Facebook page:

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They say you should never judge a book by its cover—and that couldn’t be more true for Louise M. Parks. Like a beautiful rose with thorns, Louise came into the program with her guard up, protective of the strength she’s had to build through a lifetime of challenges.

But as she learned to trust us, we began to see beyond that tough exterior—and discovered a woman full of grit and grace.

When we did her photo shoot, Louise asked if she could hold her motorcycle helmet while wearing her gown. I said, “Heck yeah!” It turned out to be the perfect shot—showing both sides of who she is: the fearless fighter and the elegant, feminine spirit within.

Louise’s name means “female warrior” or “heroine,” and she truly embodies that spirit. From losing her mother at just sixteen, to facing endometriosis, divorce, and later a cancer diagnosis, Louise has confronted life’s hardest battles head-on. Yet through it all, she continues to rise—with courage, gratitude, and love for the woman she’s become.

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Still I Rise features stories from You Night's STORY CRAFTING COMMUNITY. To read additional stories, visit our Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/YouNightStories. Would you like to participate in a 6-week Story Crafting small group experience so that you can share your story? Write to us at teamyounight@gmail.com

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Today’s guest is one of the hardest-working women I’ve ever met — a strong, beautiful mother whose heart for others shines through everything she does. She’s the founder of a nonprofit that delivers care bags to cancer patients, a gesture of love that brings comfort and hope to people when they need it most.

But what truly makes her extraordinary is not just what she does — it’s who she is. Verazonda Walker has faced life’s storms head-on: abuse, heartbreak, loss, and cancer — not once, but twice. And yet, instead of giving up, she learned to dance in the rain. Her story is one of resilience, transformation, and faith — a reminder that even in life’s darkest moments, we can still find beauty, purpose, and light.

In her powerful reflection, “Dancing in the Rain,” Verazonda takes us through her journey — from surviving trauma to building a life rooted in gratitude and love; from breaking generational curses to watching butterflies emerge as symbols of renewal. Her story will move you, inspire you, and remind you that healing isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass — it’s about learning to dance through it.

Please welcome… Verazonda Walker.

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Still I Rise features stories from You Night's STORY CRAFTING COMMUNITY. To read additional stories, visit our Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/YouNightStories. Would you like to participate in a 6-week Story Crafting small group experience so that you can share your story? Write to us at teamyounight@gmail.com