Source: Instagram user taylorswift [1]

Taylor Swift [2] took to Tumblr on Thursday to share some heartbreaking news with with her fans: her mom, Andrea Finlay, was recently diagnosed with cancer [3]. The singer kept the post short, saying, "Usually when things happen to me, I process them and then write music about how I feel, and you hear it much later. This is something my family and I thought you should know about now." Taylor went on to reveal that, after urging her mom to get a routine checkup this past Christmas, the family received the devastating results. While the singer has chosen to keep the details about her mom's condition and treatment private, she's never been shy about talking about the close bond they've always shared. In addition to being Taylor's date on numerous red carpets, Andrea even inspired Taylor's song "Best Day" from her 2008 album Fearless. Watch the music video below, which features an adorable montage of home videos of Taylor and her mom.