Grace in Deep Waters

By Jacquie Angell

September 22nd, 2026

This piece was inspired by the strength it takes to survive life’s deepest waters with grace & resilience. Like patients, survivors, and caregivers, mermaids navigate darkness while still searching for light beneath the surface. Their beauty is not born from perfection, but from endurance, hope, and the courage to keep rising. My cancer journey began at age 15, when I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Decades later came two separate breast cancer diagnoses: HER2-positive breast cancer in one breast, followed by Stage IV triple-negative metastatic breast cancer in the other. For some of us, survivorship does not mean being cancer-free. It means continuing to live fully while treatment keeps us alive and research works toward the next breakthrough. I created this mermaid celebrating in a champagne glass because she represents resilience, but also joy. She has traveled through dark and difficult waters without surrendering her determination, beauty, imagination, or ability to celebrate. Cancer deserves our attention, but it does not deserve all of it. There is still beauty to notice, joy to find, and life to celebrate, even while we wait for calmer waters.