"The Girl Who Built the Wrong House": A Breast Cancer Wake-Up Call—and a Message to My Daughters to Be Bold by Denise Whittaker

Once upon a time, in a quiet land of shifting skies and whispering winds, lived a girl named Denise.
 In her village, children didn’t build houses from wood or stone — they built them from beliefs.

Denise learned early how to build.
 Be small.
 Be silent.
 Keep the peace.
 Don’t shine too brightly.

So she built carefully. Brick by brick. Approval by approval.
 A house that looked strong on the outside — but never quite felt like home.

She grew, succeeded, achieved… and then one day, a storm arrived.
 A breast cancer diagnosis that shook the foundation and asked the questions she could no longer avoid:
 Am I living the life I want?
And who am I, really?

In the rubble, Denise heard her own voice for the first time — quiet, steady, true — whispering,
 “There’s another way.”

This is the story of rebuilding.
 Of choosing alignment over applause.
 Of learning that worth is not earned — it’s remembered.

Welcome to Still I Rise —
where storms become awakenings,
healing becomes a choice,
and coming home to yourself is the bravest thing you can do.

Welcome to my guest, Denise Whittaker.