Born Diana Ellen Judd on this day in Ashland, Kentucky, Naomi Judd (1946–2022) carried a rare blend of grit and tenderness: a single mother raising two daughters, a working nurse, and later, a country music star whose voice and story helped millions feel less alone.

In 1991, at the height of success, she was diagnosed with Hepatitis C and faced a long season of fear, uncertainty, and hard decisions. Instead of pretending she wasn’t scared, she chose awareness. She chose truth. She chose to keep going.

“Slow down, simplify, and be kind,” she urged, the way someone speaks when they’ve earned their wisdom the hard way. In her memoir Love Can Build a Bridge, she wrote about the strength it takes to face reality and the peace that can come when we meet the unknown with steadiness instead of fear.

With her nursing background, she understood what doctors could do, and what they could not. “Medical science is wonderful,” she said, “but I’ve got to go to a higher authority.” She put her faith in God and refused to give up.

She returned to the stage and to the world, reminding us that hope is not naïve. It is practiced. “Hope is a gift we give ourselves,” she said, “and it remains when all else is gone.”

Naomi’s life still speaks to anyone who has ever stood at a crossroads and wondered if they had enough strength. Turn on the light. Tell the truth. Take the next step. Your choices are sacred.