Publisher's Synopsis
Too many of us eventually find ourselves searching for words of encouragement for cancer patients. Almost every day, we learn of coworkers, friends, family members, or acquaintances on social media facing a scary diagnosis, and we wonder what we can do. Are inspirational cancer quotes enough? Will the patient and family want to be left alone or should we surround them? Our searching can even lead us to lists of the wrong things to say. When Serenity Bohon was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive cancer while twenty-nine and pregnant, she felt confused, afraid, and shaken. As if they had prepared for a lifetime, those who loved her seemed to know exactly what to say.
In The Thank You Room, Serenity is diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma while married to her childhood sweetheart, recently pregnant, and mother to two sons, aged five and four. Afraid of what will happen to her or the baby, Serenity wonders if a person can actually die of fear, let alone her disease. Inspirational cancer quotes pour in. They help, but Serenity is familiar with inspiration and now struggling with what it really means to have faith. Uplifting words for cancer patients and their families usually talk about cancer warriors and the survivor's journey as a fight. If cancer is a battle, and only the courageous survive, Serenity wonders if she can possibly live up to the hype. The Thank You Room is a story for those of us who wonder how to help. In it, we can find not only encouraging words for cancer patients but ideas for how to be there, how to share our time, our curated playlists, or something as simple as a warm blanket and some orange juice to show we care. In the early days of her diagnosis, Serenity leans on the strength of people sharing gifts like these and finds perhaps she can face her journey, like it or not. Wondering if or how long she will survive after her diagnosis, Serenity expects to feel a sense of adventure - a desire to seize the day and finally achieve all her dreams. She is surprised instead by a sense of quiet. All she wants is to gather around her the people she has loved. "I wanted to look at them, to watch them laugh," she says. "I wanted to thank them for making life great." The Thank You Room describes the family, friends, and neighbors who were there. With her, we learn the people in the thank you room are not there to watch Serenity die but to inspire the way she will live. The book is a powerful series of thank-you notes and a guide for anyone looking for encouragement for cancer patients and their families. Serenity even makes us laugh. The Thank You Room is the story of people who know what to say, who go beyond beating cancer quotes and show us all the faithful, inspiring, and life-giving things we can do when our own loved ones face cancer and its challenging treatments. A personal memoir, this is the story of a sarcoma patient, a baby, their community, and how they survived together.
