Amy Newmark's Blog, page 6

Open Your Heart to the Possibilities

Have you ever experienced that weird, completely unexplainable situation, or the unexpected answered prayer, or how about that feeling a guardian angel must be watching over you?

If you enjoy hearing about stories like this you are going to love our new book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Angels All Around.

The 101 miraculous stories will amaze you as you read about divine intervention, serendipitous encounters and curious coincidences.

Here are two of my favorite stories that show how our writers experienced their own miracles!

The life-saving guidance from a stranger.
In her story, "Go and Get It," Francine L. Billingslea had two things left on her to-do list after a two-week vacation: paint a wall in the family room or go for her routine mammogram. As she was telling her mother she wasn’t going to the mammogram she heard a voice telling her to go. Still ignoring it, Francine was in a gift shop next to the paint store when a stranger commented on an angel figurine Francine had picked up. She told her it was a breast-cancer angel, and then advised, “Honey, get the angel and your mammogram. You’ll be fine.” How had the stranger known Francine was supposed to have her mammogram that day? And why did her voice sound like the same voice Francine had heard earlier that morning telling her to go? Francine went off to her mammogram and learned she had breast cancer. She went through treatment and was declared cancer-free nine years ago. And she says, “Had I not heard that voice or met that woman, I probably wouldn’t have gotten my mammogram in time.”

The helpful spirits who couldn’t have been there.
In the story, "The Pennsylvania Turnpike," Anita Stone and her husband Joe were taking their new baby to a family gathering when they got stuck in a terrible snowstorm. Cars and trucks were strewn across the snowy Pennsylvania Turnpike after numerous accidents. Joe managed to find a way off the highway and they stopped in a bar to find a place to spend the night. A man named David who was seated at the bar offered to let them stay with him and his wife at their small cabin up the road. The next day Anita and Joe found a hot breakfast waiting for them in the cabin, but their hosts were gone and they never returned during the 24 hours that Joe and Anita were stuck there waiting for the storm to end. When they finally left the cabin and drove back to the bar to learn more about their gracious hosts, the bartender told them the cabin hadn’t been occupied for three years—because the man who lived there, David, had died with his family in an accident on the Pennsylvania Turnpike three years ago.


Amy Newmark

September is Happy Cat Month — Let's Celebrate

Did you know that September is Happy Cat Month?

At Chicken Soup for the Soul we tend to celebrate cats all year long! And why not — cats make us better people. They are our protectors, our role models, and our best friends!

Here are two of my favorite stories from our book, Chicken Soup for the Soul - Life Lessons From The Cat , with the lessons we can learn from our cats!

Accept it when something is meant to be
In the story "Journey of Love" Andi Lehman tested as allergic to pets, so her family had to give away their dog, cat, and guinea pig. Andi was devastated by the loss of her cat Grungy, who they had adopted six years earlier while stationed with the U.S. Navy in Turkey. That cat had survived many near-death accidents and travel adventures as they moved around the world with the Navy. Grungy was given to a young couple two islands away in the Florida Keys, but two weeks later, the wife called to tell them Grungy had gotten away. Months went by, and Andi mourned for her lost cat. And then one day, she stepped outside their Key West home and almost tripped over a matted, filthy, skinny cat. It was Grungy, who had walked ten miles to get home, traversing two bridges between the islands while he was at it. He was welcomed home permanently, with the only proviso that he sleep on the screened porch due to Andi’s allergies.

Taking care of yourself should come first
In her story "Speed Bump" Veronica Bowman wasn’t sure she wanted another cat, but she couldn’t stop checking one photo on the local shelter’s website. Finally, after two weeks of resisting, she and her husband went to see the cat in person. They fell in love. Veronica hadn’t thought she had time for a cat, because she had health problems and too many obligations. But that cat worked wonders. Instead of causing more stress for Veronica, the cat forced her to slow down. Now Veronica was brushing the cat’s fur every day and spending quiet time with her. Veronica concedes, “I was mistaken in thinking I didn’t need another cat. I needed help in getting my out-of-control days under control. I needed motivation to slow down and stop pushing my body beyond its limits.”


Amy Newmark

It's Time to Lace Up Your Sneakers and Get Out There!

I recently resumed my morning routine of taking a brisk three-mile walk. It makes me feel great! And it's so easy! All you need is a pair of running shoes, a safe route, and, of course, the will to get yourself out there!

The 101 real-life stories in our new book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Running for Good, provide plenty of motivation, inspiration, and how-to advice, for everyone from the newbie walker all the way to the super-athletic ultramarathoner.

Here are tips from two of my favorite stories in the book that will help motivate you to get out there and start walking or running:

You can rediscover your true self
On the morning of her 45th birthday, Ann Morrow stood at the bathroom mirror and realized that the woman looking back at her was angry, stressed, and unfit. Ann decided †o reclaim control of her life. She grabbed her coat and walked out the front door, even though it was a gray January day. And then she walked. By March, Ann looked different, and more importantly, she felt different. She says, “My senses came to life as I learned how to use meditation and mindfulness.” Walking led to a 30-pound weight loss for Ann, and it set her back on the path to rediscovering her creative side, too. Now, she says, when she’s not outside walking, she spends her time in front of a computer screen, happily “crafting stories and editing images I hope someone, somewhere will enjoy.”

You can lose weight and enjoy doing it
Billy Cuchens was an out-of-shape father of five who hadn’t worked out in over a decade. When his doctor told him he needed to lose 40 pounds, he wondered how he would find the time. But then Billy got a new job and his employer actually provided a personal trainer to work out with the staff. Billy began slowly, but over time he found himself running on a treadmill and trying to surpass his previous times and distances. As his fitness improved, he started playing football with his sons. Now Billy reports that at his most recent physical, the nurse took his pulse and blood pressure, and then asked if he was a runner.

So get going! I'll see you out there!


Amy Newmark

Dear Teachers: Thank Your for Making a Difference This Year

All year long teachers work hard. They create the future, acting as role models and confidants as well as helping studiers learn the curriculum. They have constant pressure to meet quantitative standards, but what about the qualitative achievements, the ones that can't be measured numerically?

Sometimes, teachers need to be reassured that they are indeed making a difference—that they are shaping tomorrow's thinkers and leaders. The 101 stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for Teachers does just that, providing our beloved teachers with the inspiration and appreciation they deserve every day.

One of my favorite stories is from Anne Cavanaugh Sawan. In elementary school, Anne always brought her lunch and envied the other kids who got to buy lunch. Her first grade teacher, Mrs. Caruso, must have noticed because she offered to buy Anne lunch as a reward for her hard work. “The next day, I proudly carried my tray of chicken fricassee across the cafeteria and took my seat at the hot-lunch table,” Anne shares. “Honestly, the food wasn’t as great as I had imagined, but I was pleased to be there and felt honored to be a part of the group.” One time, Mrs. Caruso gave Anne’s family bags of “extra” clothes, toys, and books. “I don’t know why Mrs. Caruso took a shine to my family. Maybe she also grew up in a family that struggled. Maybe she knew what it was like to feel just a little less than everyone else,” Anne says. “Somehow, even with her quiet charity, she never made me feel ashamed. She just made me feel loved and important.” Years later, Anne still remembers that feeling. “I’ve never lost that feeling—of being important to someone and being protected by her,” Anne writes. “After all these years, I’m still grateful to that wonderful teacher.”

So before schools lets out for the summer make sure to say "Thank You" to that special teacher!

Today is Global Running Day — Let's Celebrate!

Today is Global Running Day, "a worldwide celebration of running that encourages everyone to get moving," according to GlobalRunningDay.com. At Chicken Soup for the Soul we are celebrating with our new book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Running for Good.

We collaborated with Ultramarathoner Dean Karnazes to provide 101 real-life stories that will be sure to motivate you to get out there!

Here are tips from two of my favorite stories in the book that will help inspire you to lace up your sneakers and go out for a run:

You can make new friends no matter where you are
When Helen Boulos and her family moved from Tennessee to Delaware, she knew she would miss the warm weather and the trails she had run on. But then she found that she was missing something else, too—friends. One day another mother from school told her about a mothers’ running group. Helen joined the group and was welcomed into their circle. Then, when she was in New York and her mother died, in Maryland, her new friends rallied around her and helped plan the entire funeral, something she couldn’t do remotely and while dealing with her grief. Helen concludes her story by saying, “I miss the beautiful views in Tennessee, but I have learned that it isn’t the distance, the view or the pace that makes running great; it is the people running by your side.”

You can use running to get closer to your kids
Andrew Todd Smith and his wife were sick and tired of the amount of time their teenage son spent playing video games. Their younger son was staring at a screen all the time, too. So they instituted a new rule for both boys: Screen time would have to be earned—via running. Each mile run would earn the boys a half hour of screen time. There was some resistance at first, but the boys came around and now they are both accomplished distance runners. And the family has a new shared activity, not only for the boys, but for their sister and parents, too.


Amy Newmark

What Can We Learn from Our Cats — Everything!

We learn so much from our feline friends, and along the way they keep us company, provide unconditional love, and share in the ups and downs of our lives.

What do we learn from them? Everything! Our cats make us better people. If we rescued them, they rescue us back. If we’re sad, they comfort us. If we need to have more fun, they show us how.

Here are two of my favorite stories from Chicken Soup for the Soul - Life Lessons From The Cat and the lessons learned from our feline friends!

Sometimes you have to love and let go.
E.E. King spent a lot of time at her aunt and uncle’s house, and played with their new cat, T, all summer. But when winter came around, T acted shocked. That cat hated snow and cold. The next summer, they played together again… until T disappeared on August 29th. The family searched everywhere, but the cat was gone—until he mysteriously reappeared on April 12th as if nothing had happened. He disappeared again the next August 29th, and again reappeared on April 12th, and he did the same thing for the next two years. The fifth time that August 29th came around, the family was ready. They followed T to a neighbor’s house where a silver trailer was parked. It turned out that T was hitching a ride to Florida every August, wintering there with the neighbors, and then returning to his first family in April. Everyone agreed that the cat should continue to have his summer family and his winter family.

Remember it takes two to make a fight.
Susan Yanguas adopted two kittens, sisters, because she didn’t have the heart to split them up. The two sisters were very different in coloring and disposition, and unfortunately they also developed quite a case of sibling rivalry. They were always squabbling and provoking each other. Susan found herself saying, “Why can’t you two just get along? You’re sisters!” And then she realized she sounded just like her mother. Susan started observing the cats’ fights and realized how much she and her sister acted the same way. She also watched how the cats made up with each other. Susan comments, “While I can’t say I now enjoy a perfectly harmonious relationship with my sister, adopting these two siblings has showcased the dynamics of antagonistic personalities for me. I’m reminded daily that it takes two to have an argument.”


Amy Newmark

It's Time to Celebrate Nurses!

In honor of National Nurses Week, we are celebrating all the nurses out there who heal patients, touch lives, and selflessly nurture others with their hands and their hearts.

The collection of stories in our book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for Nurses: 101 Stories of Appreciation and Wisdom champions nurses' daily contributions, commitments and sacrifices, and depicts the compassion and intelligence and humor needed to meet today's demands.

It's a perfect way to say "Thank You" to a special nurse, or "Welcome" to a new nurse who has joined your team or just graduated from school!

So thank your nurses... not just this week, but every week!


Amy Newmark

Go Ahead and Admit It — Mom Was Right All Along!

Being a mother is the most difficult and the most rewarding job there is. It’s a lifetime career that starts the moment you know you’re expecting.

Sometimes, moms wonder if they’re getting through. Are they making a difference? Do their kids appreciate them? The answer is “yes,” as illustrated by the 101 stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Mom Knows Best: 101 Stories of Love, Gratitude & Wisdom

Here is a quick look at two things grown children say they understand and appreciate about the women who helped them as kids and as adults, certain to be inspirational to mothers, grandmothers, stepmothers, mothers-in-law, and honorary mothers everywhere:

Mothers are often our most important role models.
Weston Collins’ mother told him magical, creative stories every night, all the product of her fertile imagination. When he asked her where he could find stories like that, she explained that hers weren’t found in any books, but that he could write his own. She died when he was only nine, but her influence persisted. Today, Weston is a science fiction writer, with many books to his credit. “Now the world can share story time with my mom,” he says.

No matter how much we protest, we will end up acting like our mothers.
“I had the best intentions not to turn into my mother,” says Randi Mazzella. The embarrassing way her mother was dressed when she picked her up at school, the “stupid” rules she enforced, the music she listened to—Randi was going to be different. Until she found herself doing all the same things as her mom, because that’s what works. “I found out that turning into your mother is sometimes inevitable,” admits Randi. “So, yes, I’ve turned into my mother, and my kids are darn lucky I have.”

Happy Mother's Day!


Amy Newmark

Chicken Soup for the Soul Collection Celebrates Our Service Members and Their Brave, Strong Families

May is designated as "Military Appreciation Month" and here at Chicken Soup for the Soul we are proud to support military families — the unheralded heroes of the armed services!

In our book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Military Families: 101 Stories about the Force Behind the Forces , we share stories from service members and their families about pride and patriotism, heartache and joy, and of course, a few miracles.

We also LOVE that royalties from the book benefit the USO!

Here is a quick look at a couple of my favorite stories from the book. Enjoy!

"Getting on Base" by Heather Gillis
When Heather Gillis’s husband sold his private medical practice and joined the Air Force, Heather didn’t know what to expect. “We were entering a whole new world,” Heather shares. “I learned quickly that if I didn’t get out there and meet people, I was never going to make friends in my new military world.” Thanks to locking her keys in her car, Heather met and became quick friends with her neighbor. From there, Heather got involved in the community at the base and made many great friends. “The neighbors and friends I meet become a part of my military family,” Heather says.

"Like a Dandelion" by Lauren B. Stevens
By the time Lauren Stevens was twelve, she had lived in four states and three countries because of her father’s Air Force transfers. “Home,” she says, “was wherever my family resided at the time.” And she loved it! “Military life taught me discipline and resilience, exposed me to different cultures, and provided my family a lifetime of memories,” Lauren shares. She likens herself and other military children to dandelions. “We thrive wherever our ‘seeds’ land and make friends with ease, deeply rooted in the shared experience of military life,” Lauren writes. “We blossom and thrive in new environments before being swept away in the wind of our military parents’ move to new stations.”


Amy Newmark

An Autism Spectrum Diagnosis Is Life Changing

Did you know the month of April is National Autism Awareness Month? It's the perfect time to promote autism awareness and of course, to support those who are on the spectrum and their families.

An autism spectrum diagnosis is life changing, and the journey can often feel lonely for parents. But there is a whole spectrum of support out there for parents and family members of children diagnosed with autism or Asperger’s syndrome.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Raising Kids on the Spectrum: 101 Inspirational Stories for Parents of Children with Autism and Asperger's contains 101 stories that offer great advice and emotional support for parents of kids on the spectrum, no matter what their age.

Here are a couple of my favorite stories in the book from parents who have been there:

Find your support system.
At school dismissal one afternoon, Christine Coleman had a difficult time handling her young son’s rare, but epic, meltdown. Feeling inept and self-conscious, she worried about other parents’ reactions to the situation. But instead of being judged, she received an outpouring of care and support from parents on Facebook. “That’s my village,” Christine writes. “No judgment against me or Cuyler. Simply concern and worry. Asking how they can help the next time it happens.” She discovered a kind and understanding community that will support her and her family.

Embrace the small victories.
Jeneil Palmer Russell’s daughters Rhema and Hope weren’t exactly getting along. Day after day Hope would follow her older sister around, asking for a high five. But Rhema would always ignore Hope, still viewing her younger sister as a pest. Finally, one day, after Hope had crashed into her sister during a chase, Rhema finally high fived her back. “What word suffices here? Momentous? Stupendous?” Jeneil writes. “I cheered like the Red Sox had won another World Series.”


Amy Newmark