Learn from losses. Love life anyway. Molly Stephenson, English teacher, introduces her six-word mantra to her students on the first day of school each semester. In order to learn more about each other, she has each student create his own six- word motto. Molly wrote her motto in a difficult time during her sister’s illness and has referred to it more than she could have ever imagined.

Molly graduated from the University of Dayton in Ohio and was ready to start her career. Before teaching, she was an associate vice president for A.G. Edwards. She often put in 60 hour weeks as a project manager, yet still remained close with her family and friends. It was at A.G. Edwards that she first met her husband Bill, and after numerous trials of getting him to notice her, they finally began dating. The two married on Aug. 24, 1990. Five weeks later, Molly lost her mother to colon cancer. This loss brought the pair closer and made their appreciation for family stronger.

One Christmas, Molly’s sister, Sue, visited. Sue noticed she felt very bloated and thought it was the result of eating too much from the holidays. On the plane ride home, her discomfort grabbed her attention so she saw a doctor as soon as she got back. The needle biopsy showed Sue had an abnormal amount of fluid in her abdomen. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

“She said she was going to fight this with everything she had,” Molly said. “She faced death without fear.”

After Molly’s daughter Emma, junior, went to school full time, Molly became a teacher. Sue, who was a social worker, always had a strong bond with Molly.  Their shared love of students brought the two sisters closer. Since Sue lived in Washington, with no family near, Molly offered her home to Sue whenever things started to turn for the worst.

“I asked (Bill), and he immediately agreed. The logistics went through my head, like the stairs and converting our living room,” Molly said. “The way my husband lived his whole life was you do anything for family, no questions asked.”

Although Sue turned down the offer, knowing that Molly’s house was open gave her comfort. Sadly, in September of 2008 in the intensive care unit surrounded by family and friends, Sue lost her life. This tragedy once again brought Molly and her family closer.

Emailing each other was a daily ritual for Molly and Bill. Bill sent an email that stood out among the others, on Sept. 10, 2009.

“He told me he had been thinking a lot about my dad lately (who was diagnosed with colon cancer) and said that with tomorrow being Sept. 11, we really have to live every day like it’s our last,” Molly said.

The next day, after dropping off Emma at violin lessons, Molly went to the nearest Bread Company to finish reading a book for her book club. Bill joined her, and they celebrated the big job promotion Bill had received the night before. Molly had never seen Bill so excited about work. After dinner, Molly went to her book club while Bill waited to take Emma home. While at the club, Molly saw her cell phone go off, and because the rule was to not answer phones during the sessions, she ignored it. Then, it went off again, and she knew something was important. As she left the room, she noticed she had a voicemail from her daughter informing her that Bill fell. With thoughts and emotions rushing through her mind, she realized she heard sirens in the background of the message.

“All I kept thinking was, ‘This is bad, this is bad,’” Molly said.

After Molly reached Missouri Baptist hospital, her brothers and sisters quickly joined. She was soon informed that her husband had a blood clot in the brain and a hemorrhage.  The doctors referred to the situation as a “major brain event” and said what occurred was “the perfect storm” for brain injuries.

“When I saw him, I noticed he was able to focus on my face but could not speak,” Molly said. “Through his eyes I could tell he said ‘I love you’ and that ‘I’m sorry.’”

Soon after, Bill went into a coma and the family was left with a decision. The doctors advised considering putting Bill through the surgery, although it would be a difficult procedure and would never bring him fully back, it would keep him breathing.

“It was a group decision,” Molly said. “His mom was the first to say that we needed to let him go.”

After 45 minutes off of life support, Bill Stephenson, 51, passed away.

“It was a real blow,” Stephenson said. “The decision was excruciating.”

Bill’s funeral was not like normal funerals. Friends and family laughed and shared personal stories about him.

“We tried to concentrate on the good and remember the love,” Molly said. “No one would believe how much we laughed at the funeral.”

The support Molly received from coworkers, family and friends was overwhelming. She said the blanket of love was extremely comforting. People reached out and made meals, sent cards and gave donations, to which the Stephenson family donated to the American Cancer Society.

That weekend, after Bills death, Molly left for what she called “the golden weekend.” She visited her parents with Emma, and they all remembered the great times with Bill. Her father, who had colon cancer, felt particularly better, and sat on the front porch with them sharing stories as well. Unfortunately, her father had to be taken to the hospital because he felt his body shutting down.

“As the doctors were running tests, my dad, in the most peaceful voice, asked them to please stop since he knew what was happening, and he understood,” Molly said. “We were thankful because the death was expected, and we got to say goodbye.”

Although Molly tries her best to keep her positive attitude going, she still struggles with the grief.

“There are times I can’t breathe because I am still shocked,” Molly said. “But I let myself feel the emotion and give myself time to grieve.”

Molly and Bill believed marriage was forever, and she wears his wedding ring as a daily reminder of him.

“Bill chose the engraving in our rings. Anyone who would see the ‘LSG’ would think it stands for someone’s initials, but it doesn’t,” Molly said. “It stands for ‘Love So Grand’.”

That love remains her focus. On Bill’s birthday she gets together with friends and toasts to Bill.

“He was the funniest, smartest man I ever knew,” Molly said. “He was a sports fanatic and never missed an Illinois college basketball game. We often times saw three movies a week, and bonded over music because he had over 1,000 of rock and alternative albums.”

Emma remembers her father too. She dedicated an orchestra piece to her father since he always encouraged her to keep playing.

“All of these things that happened are ultimately a blessing,” Molly said. “I can say I went through my biggest fears and survived them.”

Molly and her family have been through emotions and experiences that have had great influences on how they live their life.

“You make all these plans of things you are going to do but life can take your breath away,” Molly said. “Life is not guaranteed. You can say you are going to live your life like the clichés, but I know from every fiber in my being that nothing is promised and to focus on the good things.”