The Sweetest Days of My Life with Brooke Turner

Brooke Turner would have been 40 years old tomorrow. She passed away on February 2 from Stage IV breast cancer, nearly five years after her initial diagnosis. Cancer is not her legacy, though; that's spelled out here in her own words, chronicling the "sweetest days" of her life.Today's episode was recorded six months ago, cobbled together from multiple conversations as storms flickered over South Carolina. One hour-long stretch of our recordings was lost, and Brooke and I spent months trying to determine how best to steward this part of her story.She had begun to lose her voice, so would I read her words? Fill in the gaps another way? Our last texts were about how we'd get her story to you. The morning after she passed, I went back to find our missing file restored; it was an absolute gift.In some ways, Brooke lived several lives: certified corporate go-getter, creative entrepreneur, women's ministry director, mother of three. She served others even as she fought cancer.Beside her always was her husband Justin, an avid cyclist who died 18 months ago while out for a Saturday morning ride. Brooke called this her "second unexpected plot twist" after the cancer they'd faced together.Brooke walked their three children through grief while continuing chemo, and in that time she called herself a "student of hope." She found new mercies every morning and saw God providing all she needed.It's my fervent prayer that this episode gives you a taste of who Brooke was and what she believed, that I've done justice to the story she worked so hard to tell. You can find Brooke's support page at "Brooke Turner's Cancer Journey" on Facebook and see her Instagram posts at @brooketurnersc.Sam, Selah and Hannah Turner will grow up with their Aunt Liz, Uncle Jon and three Fisher cousins in the home their parents moved into during the Turners' "redemption summer." If you'd like to support their ongoing needs, please visit tinyurl.com/givetoTeamTurner.As always, you can join the conversation at @butnotallatonce on Instagram or reach me directly at [email protected] heartfelt thanks to Liz Fisher, Brooke's sister and best friend, for encouraging me to share her legacy with the world.Thanks for being here, y'all! I'd love to hear from you at @ButNotAllAtOnce on social media or via ButNotAllAtOnce.com.