The Power of Friendship in MBC: Why Connection Matters
What does it mean to truly show up for someone you love, especially in the face of uncertainty?
This conversation explores the depth of friendship when one person is living with metastatic breast cancer. It’s about honesty, the hard conversations, moments of humor, and the choice to stay present with each through it all. It’s about not “bright siding,” but instead looking into the unknown together. At the heart of this story is a friendship that has evolved over time. Learning together how to communicate openly, hold space for fear and grief, and still find connection, creativity, and even joy. Out of this experience came Temple of Kinship, a retreat designed for people living with metastatic breast cancer and their friends who support them. It creates space for those same kinds of conversations and connections through reflection, creative practices, and shared time away from daily responsibilities. But more than anything, this is a story about what it looks like to be there for each other and how that kind of presence can change both people.
Episode Notes:
You can find Temple of Kinship on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn
Friendship is Sacred essay by Alyssa Tsagong in Wildfire
Meet the Guests of the Episode
Alyssa Tsagong
Alyssa is an artist, mom, MBC thriver and serendipity cultivator. She retired from a career in public media and education in 2023 to channel her creativity for her health, her family, and artistic mischief. In addition to holding space for MBC thrivers and their chosen friend through Temple of Kinship retreats, Alyssa is also a METAvivor Peer to Peer support group leader in southeast Wisconsin.
You can connect with her on IG @revery_alone_will_do.
Megan Monday
Megan believes the right questions can open portals, and she follows where they lead. She builds with what she's learned, with an eye towards beauty and systems that can bear weight. Her work moves across forms—documentary film, print books, digital engagement projects, educational media, exhibitions, and retreats. Along the way, she has co-founded two nonprofits, including Temple of Kinship, which creates a soft place to land for people navigating a metastatic breast cancer diagnosis and those who ride close beside them. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her spouse and teenager, where she keeps watercolor paints in rotation and has a weakness for whimsical jackets.
