BY KIMBERLY KARIATI UNITED KINGDOM -BASED author Beritha Muzondo (47) says her debut book titled Little Book of Love and Hope is meant to inspire those going through difficult times while chronicling her battle against cancer.
Speaking to NewsDay Life & Style Muzondo, a teacher, said writing the anthology, that has 60 poems, created resilience in her during trying times.
“Little Book of Love and Hope is my first book. As a teacher I have always enjoyed reading, but never dreamt about writing my own book.
“Going through physical and emotional pain during my journey with cancer from diagnosis, through to treatment, I had to find ways of dealing with the different therapies that I was experiencing,” she said.
“When you are going through something as immense as cancer, sometimes it is difficult to find someone who actually understands the details and severity of what you are going through. You want to talk to or read something from someone who has lived the experience.”
Muzondo, who is also a philanthropist, said the urge to share her experiences prompted her to write the book.
“Writing gave me the chance to appreciate the power of relationships with family, friends, and acquaintances. I have put my thoughts into a collection of poems. I hope the poems will inspire and strengthen someone who might be going through a difficult season in their life.”
“I found comfort in putting my thoughts and feelings on paper. Writing helped me to deal with pain, and it also helped me to celebrate the good moments and experiences during that difficult period,” she said.
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Muzondo said she hoped the book would help others appreciate and value the beauty of life and their loved ones.
“I hope the book will help other women going through the cancer journey, family and friends who will be supporting them and any other person going through other difficult times which may not even be related to cancer,” she said.
“Although we go through some difficult and painful moments in life, I have learnt that there is light at the end of the tunnel. All we need to do is take one day at a time and live each day with purpose in the best way we possibly can.”
Muzondo said writing helped her to show appreciation to her family, friends and well-wishers for the love and support they were giving her.
“When I started writing I was documenting my whole journey with cancer. The intention was to publish a book with a detailed account of the whole journey from diagnosis, treatment to recovery.
“When I realised that treatment was taking longer than anticipated because of complications encountered along the way, I then decided to publish the poems first so that I could finish treatment and include everything in the book,” she said.
Muzondo said she would continue to document her experiences as she was working on two other books on her journey with cancer and life in general alongside a celebratory poetry collection for surviving cancer.
Follow Kimberly on Twitter @lizellekimkari
