Reading, writing, and inspiring are all passions of a local Langley author.
That’s why Tracey Ehman decided to share her own personal story in a collaborative book called “Voices of the 21st Century: Women Who Influence, Inspire, and Make a Difference.”
Ehman and the book’s 29 other c0-authors are all part of the Women Speakers Association–a group that empowers women across the globe to express themselves on various platforms.
The group believes “every woman has a message to share,” explained Ehman, who wrote about her journey leaving the corporate world, falling ill with breast cancer, and recovering.
“Voices of the 21st Century” is a series of short personal essays written by females who want to educate, guide, and inspire.
“What we found as we were talking to people, everyone had something they’ve overcome, something they ran into, an obstacle. This gave everyone an opportunity to share their story without delving into a full on book by themselves,” added Ehman.
Ehman was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010, underwent a lumpectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation, and is cancer-free today.
During the time of her diagnoses, Ehman was working towards building her own career as a social media strategist and virtual assistant, and said having something to focus on was what made the journey more bearable.
“What worked really well for me was being able to concentrate my efforts on something outside of ‘I’m doing cancer treatments.’ It kept me positive and looking towards the future as opposed to being centered in what I was dealing with in that moment.”
Ehman’s story and the other stories in the book are appropriate for any ages, as Ehman said “young people can see what older people have overcome.”
“I want people to know that it may feel like your life is over, but there’s things you can draw from every experience you have. I realize its hard to pull a silver lining from it, or put your story out there.”
And with one book complete, Ehman is working on her own collaborative novel called “The Silver Lining of Cancer,” which launches in April.
Ehman has gathered approximately 20 authors to contribute their cancer stories, but is still looking for more contributors, whether they’ve dealt with their own cancers, or have stood alongside someone with cancer.
Using the phrase “silver lining” in the book’s title is important because Ehman has her own special “silver linings.”
“I have the most amazing family and my kids have turned into stellar young adults who are driven and empathetic towards other people. So there’s one of my silver linings.”
Ehman explained sharing a tough story can also be “cathartic.”
“It feels good to get the story out there. When you keep it inside you don’t realize how many other people can relate to what you’ve gone through or are going through. When you re able to share more about yourself, it helps build better relationships with people.”
For those interested in more information on “The Silver Lining of Cancer,” contact Tracey through her website at: https://thesilverliningofcancer.com/