Stay Present, Stop Fixing

JAN 31, 2026

The most supportive thing a parent can do is stay present without trying to fix everything. This approach required confronting shame. I worked especially hard to avoid passing on the body image shame I inherited to our daughter. I shifted how I spoke about bodies and food, choosing more neutral language that framed physical change as a natural occurrence vs. a moral failing.

This excerpt appears in the story, What Cancer Taught Me About Breaking Family Cycles, by Penny Greening, and was originally published in By The North (BTN). FULL ARTICLE