Joyce Lippa Rothman never gave up.

Even as she battled two forms of cancer, Rothman continued to spread positive messages in the final months of her life through her column and blog posts for the Wareham Courier, the Fall River Herald, and GateHouse Media.

Rothman passed away in July 2012 at the age of 64, but her dream to one day become an author has finally come true with the publication of her ebook “Making Sense of It All: Lessons From Cancer.”

“My mom always wanted to write. It’s probably what kept her going,” Karen Robinson, Rothman’s only daughter said.  “It helped her with getting her feelings out during hard times. Even in the last month before she passed away, she wanted to come home from the hospital to work on her book.”

Rothman, who worked in the nursing field for four decades, was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2010. Soon after, cancer was also discovered in her pancreas. She began writing a blog about her experience in October 2010.

Robinson was extremely close to her mom and described her as a “best friend.”

Her mom, who lived in Onset for her final 12 years, was a very caring, passionate, and talented woman, she said, who enjoyed interior decorating, gardening, taking on new business ventures, and learning new things.

“She was extremely excited whenever she was happy about something new,” Robinson said. “Her eyes would sheen and she would talk about it nonstop. She was always searching for her next business adventure.”

Robinson still struggles to read her mom’s writing because it is too painful to relive the hard times.  However, she knew that her mom’s words had inspired thousands of readers through all 300 of Gatehouse Media’s websites, as well as in newspapers around the country. She wanted to fulfill her mom’s dream and allow her to continue to spread her message of hope.

After Rothman passed away, Robinson approached writer and developmental editor Julia Willis to compile her columns into a book.

Willis said she was a bit apprehensive to take on the project at first.

“I thought it sounded kind of depressing, but when I started to look at the columns I realized she was full of happiness and courage,” Willis said.

Rothman believed in keeping a positive attitude and to never give up despite what life threw at her. In her column she wrote that the number one lesson she learned from cancer was to live in the moment.

“No matter if it’s cancer spreading, coping with each new fear, helping family and friends get through this with me, little chunks of time, will make it more doable instead of trying to see the whole picture at once,” Rothman wrote in a column less than a month before her death.

“It’s the one (lesson) that is most useful to me, the one that allows me to realize that there is some hope with my prognosis and the one that allows me to reflect on the possibility of it actually occurring,” she continued.

Although Willis never met Rothman, she said she was “inspired” and “moved” by the spiritual nature of her writing. She even felt as though Rothman was right there hovering over her shoulder during the editing process, helping her make decisions.

Willis chose the title “Making Sense of it All” because Rothman’s writings share lessons beyond the scope of cancer.

“It’s really a book that is not just for cancer patients, but is for caregivers and health professionals and anyone facing a lot of challenges,” Willis said. “It really prepares you for when you do face hard times.”

Robinson said her mother continued to fight and fight and never stopped being positive.

“I would be sitting there sobbing, but my mom would say, ‘This is just part of the story’ and ‘We are going to make it through this,’” Robinson said. “My mom was so spiritual, she really believed if she just stayed positive, she would beat it.”

Some critics said Rothman’s unwavering positivity and spirituality did not work because she ultimately lost the battle to cancer, but Robinson has a different view – a view she learned from her mother.

“Many people who have pancreatic cancer would be so sick. No, her positive attitude didn’t heal her, but it was really amazing that my mom really didn’t get that sick,” Robinson said. “She taught me how important it is to focus on the small pleasures in life even when things get awful even if it is just a good cup of coffee. You have to string the small pleasures together.”

“Making Sense of It All: Lessons From Cancer” is now available from her publisher Booktango’s online bookstore (www.booktango.com).  It is also listed on Amazon, Kobo and other ebook retailers.  Twenty percent of author royalties go to the Lung Cancer Alliance.

Contact Caitlin Flaherty at [email protected]

Follow Caitlin on Twitter @CaitlinCourier.