A couple weeks ago I wrote about the birthday “human art show” my friends and family performed for me while I was in the hospital undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Another uplifting and awesome thing they pulled together was a “book of encouragement.”

My sister, Becky, coordinated this project while I was in the hospital again, this time for the actual bone marrow transplant. Becky went around to my aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters, grandma and parents and invited them to create a page for the book, wishing me well on my recovery and health journey.

Like the birthday surprise, I didn’t know about the book until Becky delivered it to me in my hospital room. And like the birthday surprise it gave my spirits such a great and much-needed boost. I laughed my guts out (not literally) reading the many hilarious and creative entries and felt my resolve strengthen as I read the many inspirational and motivational entries.

Words of encouragement may not seem as important as all the pharmaceuticals they pumped into my body but they do make a difference. And having something tangible like a physical book that I could flip through when I felt down was great.

Here’s a small sample of pages from the oh-so-awesome Book of Encouragement. Something to consider if you know someone going through a tough time!

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