What did I do wrong? Those were the first words out of my mouth when I received the phone call from my surgeon. He said the words no woman wants to hear, "you have breast cancer." It was March 21, 1996. I was 40 years old and we had just celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary.

I struggled through surgery, treatment and radiation. But with the support of family, friends, my faith, and a healthy sense of humor, I was able to get through that difficult time.

It's been 11 years since I heard those life-changing words, but it took a diagnosis of breast cancer for me to realize what I was truly passionate about. Shortly after being diagnosed, I wrote down 27 things I always wanted to do: travel, take a photography course, write a book, plant a rose garden, and number 27—parachute out of an airplane. I've accomplished every passionate to—do except #27!

Cancer was a great teacher. It forced me off this hamster wheel our society calls sacred and allowed me to pursue the desires of my heart—speaking and writing. It gave me the ability to see life as fragile—not one day promised, but one day as a gift. It gave me permission to make changes in my life that I would not have made otherwise. Most importantly it taught me not to let the opportunities of my heart pass me because none of us is promised tomorrow—we only have this present moment.

One of my passionate to-do's was to see my boys through safe passage into adulthood. They were just 9 and 14 when they heard the words, "cancer." They are now 21 and 26—pursuing passions of their own which my bout with cancer taught them to do. Jeremy, my oldest, is a high school World Cultures teacher and Jon will be graduating from Grove City College in 2009. Not that I want to re-live the events of the past 11 years, I can't imagine my life without them. Cancer was a gift... it taught me how to live!

The words, "what did I do wrong," have been replaced with "what did I do right?" to deserve a second chance at this precious gift called life. Will my passionate to-do list ever be complete? I certainly hope not; in fact, I'm depending on it!

Connie is an author, speaker, and mentor. She speaks nationally to cancer groups leading therapeutic writing workshops and sharing her most requested keynote: "Living the Passionate Life." She is a frequent writer for COPING Magazine and contributing author to various books, including Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Connie is active in breast cancer forums and workshops and has attended the Burlington Breast Cancer Conference which she highly recommends. She can be reached at www.conniepombo.com.