Did you ever feel like your life is heading along in a good direction and suddenly you discover you have lost your map? That’s what happened to Julie Barthels in 2010. She enjoyed a busy career as Clinical Director at a rape crisis center, a part time private therapy practice, a renewed relationship with her partner, and training for a triathlon. Then, an aggressive form of breast cancer showed up. Not sure if she would survive the cancer or the treatment, Julie decided to write a love letter to her two daughters. That letter is the foundation for this book, I’d Rather Love Life than Hate Cancer . It weaves the story of Julie’s journey with cancer and how it offered her its own unique gifts and lessons.