“Fishkeeping” with Liz Grissom

Liz Grissom was diagnosed at 33 with Stage I Triple Negative breast cancer, and again at 41 with Stage III. She is a talent development partner, enjoys running, drawing and marveling over a great book. She lives in Virginia with her two sons, firefighter spouse, and their dog.

Liz reads her essay “Fishkeeping” from the 2025 Second Time Around issue of Wildfire Journal. Her piece is about the moment when everything changed—again. When recurrence doesn’t come with a handbook, when you’re trying to plan summer vacation but end up rerouting your entire life.

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Fishkeeping

Sometimes recurrence doesn’t arrive with alarms.⁠
It arrives while you’re making spreadsheets.⁠
While your child studies fish.⁠
While you’re planning a summer that suddenly has to change.⁠

⁠In Fishkeeping, Liz Grissom invites us into the soft glow of aquarium lights as she navigates a second breast cancer diagnosis alongside motherhood, caretaking, and the ache of not knowing what comes next. Diagnosed at 33 with Stage I Triple Negative breast cancer, and again at 41 with Stage III, Liz writes from the in-between—where vigilance meets surrender, and where love shows up in the smallest rituals.⁠

⁠"The recurrence feels personal—like it wanted to come back. Was my anxiety and fear the warning, or the ingredient? Have I been too vigilant, or not enough?⁠

We will come home early from the beach for a bone scan and a CT scan. Then Hyatt and I will test the pH of the 10-gallon tank and transfer the fish if it’s safe."⁠

This essay is about tending: to children, to fish, to a body that has already been through fire. It’s about learning that sometimes the bravest thing we can do is slow down, stay present, and test the pH first.

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Writing Prompt Inspired by Today’s Episode

Set your timer for eight minutes, write without stopping or editing yourself. There is magic in leaning into that time. The prompt is:

What am I trying to keep alive?

I invite you to write about something you are currently tending to, whether it's emotionally, physically, or spiritually. Is it a person; is it yourself; is it a relationship?

If you find that you write best with a good prompt, check out our free prompts and learn about our writing workshops.

Happy writing! Until next time, take good care.

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Episode Links

Read a transcript of this episode.

Purchase the “The Second Time Around” issue of Wildfire Journal.

Find Liz on Instagram.

More about our episode sponsors: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis (ABCD) and Cold Crowns

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