Springing Forward & Figuring Shit Out
Figuring shit out – It seems to be what life is all about? Whether in marriage, friendships, having children, moving, changing careers, heartbreak, getting injured, losing a loved one, or being diagnosed with stage IV cancer … It seems like we’re always being nudged to figure shit out. How do we get “better” every year, gaining more joy and love instead of falling into “worse,” incurring new fears, more anxiety, and deeper scars? Basically, how do we live our best lives when life is full of trauma, curve balls and left turns!
Ever since my stage IV triple-negative breast cancer diagnosis in 2017, I have learned to appreciate all my shit. I am grateful for the awareness that what we go through comes and goes, and we figure it out … or we don’t. Why am I saying this? Because I feel like The Zero Negative Foundation is in its “figuring out stage,” navigating to where exactly? That’s sort of what is being figured out too! If we could use Waze for this journey, it would be saying, “Re-calculting.”
I’ve always envisioned Zero Negative becoming a brand that would inspire others to love and find gratitude in every challenge while giving back to cancer research at UCLA. Then meeting my partner, Stacey Uberstine, a breast cancer survivor who had a passion to give back and make sure patients never felt alone through treatment … We made a left turn, and Zero Negative became a nonprofit foundation with the same mission to spread love and give back. But how? The best part about this, I am no longer figuring out shit alone!
The funny, or not so funny, thing about our partnership is how different our cancer journeys were. I truly believe cancer was the best thing to happen to me. The endless lessons about love and gratitude, learning how powerful our minds are, and the awareness that life is a gift, even when it sucks … these will be in my heart forever. More so, I trust my life now. I know my soul arranged this stage IV cancer journey to make me “better,” wiser, and to realize my purpose is to give love, receive love, and be love…To patients, caregivers, survivors, and ALL humans.
Stacey, on the other hand, had a very difficult cancer journey. First, she went through cancer during COVID. No one was allowed to accompany her to chemo rounds, or be by her side after surgery, or hold her hand for doctor appointments. Not only did she have to worry about getting through treatment, she had to worry about NOT getting COVID. She knew she was supported by her family and friends, but she had to keep her distance. Needless to say, she didn’t LOVE cancer. Yet, she didn’t hate it. She didn’t think that way. She instinctively trusted in her happy ending, living one day at a time, and dealing with everything as it came. Her biggest takeaway, along with learning she can handle anything in life now, is that feeling alone is painful, and no one should have to go through treatment without a support team.
After lots of conversations about Zero Negative’s mission, we uncovered a common thread we both knew was invaluable … support, team, family, and community. Whether support came from texts, prayers, cards, gifts, food, or phone calls, there is nothing that could replace love and prayers sent by friends and family (even at 6 feet away!)
So we knew it was time to make a “left turn,” a shift in our mission. Why don’t we provide patients the gift of support, love, community and understanding, as they go through breast cancer treatment? It seemed like the perfect mission. So that’s where we are…figuring out all the items to put in our “Chemo Love Totes,” and how to distribute them to patients. We will start working with UCLA and the Simms/Mann Center and then figure it all out from there! Our vision, to inspire patients to heal with love, to receive with gratitude, and to connect with community.
If you are in the process of “figuring out shit,” the questions that are worth asking: are you giving love, receiving love, or being love? I hope the answer is YES. Love is our nature, and soon giving and receiving will become one in the same. Until then, The Zero Negative Foundation will focus on giving love to patients, receiving love from donors and fundraisers, and standing in love for love.
Whether you are a patient, caregiver, survivor, and/or human being, we can all participate in helping others heal, including ourselves. If you would like to recommend something to add to our Chemo Love Tote, please send us a note and let us know. Also, if you have a friend in need, a family member, or someone you wish to nominate to receive a Chemo Love Tote, we are very open to that too!
And whether it's through volunteering, donating, fundraising, or simply spreading the word about our mission, your support is invaluable in helping us make a positive impact for women touched by breast cancer.
With love and gratitude,
Jenn & Stacey
