For some mothers and their children, this year’s Mother’s Day had extra meaning. This past weekend, Denise Teter celebrated 10 years of cancer-free living with her family, as she writes in the Philadelphia Inquirer. 

Surviving cancer taught Teter how important every moment of her life is. 

“I really watch and listen to what is going on around me,” she wrote. “Time management has become very important. I no longer immediately say ‘yes’ to every invitation but think about what that invitation means to me.” 

Years after her diagnosis, Teter still suffers some awful syndromes from her familial adenomatous polyposis colorectal cancer. However, she has learned to accept them as part of her life. 

“I embrace them because I know that I am fighting to have more time, and I will win,” she wrote. “I have learned to let them just be.” 

She still has some inoperable, non-cancerous tumors, so she is always listening to her oncologist and undergoing any recommended treatment in hopes of preventing them from growing and damaging her organs. 

“I know the cost of time,” she wrote. “I cherish time with each passing of a loved one, be it a two- or four-legged love.” 

Read more about Denise Teter in the Philadelphia Inquirer.