The Mother of All Decisions

Betsy Armstrong’s debut memoir, coming in Summer, 2025.

pre-order now

“Instead of dying at 46 like my mom, I turned 47.”

My reticence about children stemmed from losing my mother to colon cancer when she was only 46 years old. After her death, I was certain I'd die young, too, so I set out to capital "L," Live my Life! I became a marathon runner, ultra-marathoner, and Ironman triathlete; I quit my cushy corporate job to get a master's degree in counseling; I overcame my intense fear of commitment and married Doug; and, finally, I discovered my dream job by starting and growing a charity, Girls on the Run-Chicago. Life was good.

My 47th birthday shook me. The answer came out of nowhere: I decided it was time for children. At my age, that meant adopting.

To hear the rest of the story, pre-order the book “The Mother of All Decisions”. Coming Summer 2025.

pre-order now

Meet Betsy

I’m a writer, mom, athlete, and philanthropist, but more than anything, I'm a human trying to figure out how to live the truest, most beautiful version of my life.

I write about the small moments in my life that illuminate the bigger picture: What am I here for? What will I do with this one precious life? How can I leave the world a better place?

I write to puzzle out answers to the large questions: Do I want kids? Why is being married so hard? Why do I still miss my mom, thirty+ years after she died? How much is "enough" of anything?

I also write to understand the daily minutiae of life: What should I make for dinner (and who put me in charge of dinner)? What will my next athletic challenge be (now that I have titanium in my body)? How can I—or will I—ever stop pointing out my imperfections?

About Betsy