Amy Newmark's Blog - Posts Tagged "blessings"

I know it seems early to be talking about Christmas but with the way things are these days I feel like we all need as much holiday cheer as possible! And with Thanksgiving just around the corner, the shift into high gear for Hanukkah and Christmas is not far behind.

The 101 inspiring stories in our new book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Christmas Is in the Air, is sure to kickstart your holiday spirit!

Here is a preview of two of my favorite stories about the joys of the holiday season:

It helps to remind yourself why you’re doing all this work.
In the story "Doing Dishes" Melody Groves surveyed the pile of dirty dishes filling her sink and counters after a holiday event, all left for her to wash by herself. Her busy children and grandchildren had already gone back to their homes. But as she grumbled and worked she started to think about how each glass and plate was used: the football-shaped glass that her eight-year-old grandson loved, the spoon her eleven-month-old grandchild had used for applesauce, the remnants of the chicken her husband had so carefully and proudly cooked just right. Before she knew it, the dishes were done and Melody had reviewed a lot of happy memories. In the course of emptying the sink she had realized how full her life really was.

If you see a need, fill it.
In her story "Around the Tree" Crescent LoMonaco heard that one of her brother’s friends couldn’t afford a Christmas tree, and she was horrified. The newly divorced mother of three was already facing a slim Christmas. Crescent’s first instinct was to get that struggling mom a tree. She followed that impulse and went shopping for the perfect tree, complete with a stand, decorations, lights, and even an extension cord. She and her husband dropped off the tree anonymously in the family’s driveway. Later that day, her brother called to say that his friend had told him she had a Secret Santa who had provided a tree for them. She was so happy and appreciative, and said it really felt like Christmas. Crescent says, “Thinking back, it wasn’t about the tree. What I loved about the tree and what I wanted so much for that family was the family time. The tree was just the backdrop.” And she’s right; whether you’re gathering around the perfect cut tree, artificial tree, or decorated avocado tree, it’s the gathering that matters. The tree is just an excuse for the good stuff.


Amy Newmark

For the past 14 years I have been editor-in-chief and publisher of Chicken Soup for the Soul. During that time I've had the pleasure of reading tens of thousands of stories from people all over the world.

Of the thousands of stories, some of my favorites are those that focus on happiness — how to find it and how to keep it. Not only did I develop an understanding of what makes people tick... I learned what makes them happy!

So when we decided on our new book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Your 10 Keys to Happiness, I knew immediately it would be a passion project for me.

I began the book with a chapter on counting your blessings because I think that’s the most important key to happiness. I’m not sure you can truly be happy if you aren’t aware of what’s good in your life—if you’re always focused on what you lack instead of what you have.

Here's a preview of one of my favorite stories from the book about how to count your blessings to make every day a good day:

It’s amazing how powerful the active practice of gratitude can be for focusing us on what’s good in our lives. In Joan Donnelly-Emery's story, "Worst Day Ever," Joan learned this when she was diagnosed with lymphoma the same day her husband lost his job. Her husband had the right attitude, though. He said, “Someday in the future, we’re going to write about today and we’ll call it Worst Day Ever.”

They both went right to work solving their problems. Alan would eventually find a new, even better job, and Joan would successfully navigate her cancer treatment.

As the one-year anniversary of their Worst Day Ever approached, Joan and Alan decided they should commemorate the day – with a fun trip to Las Vegas. They have continued to celebrate March 19th every year since then, with trips to Savannah, Destin, and even Dublin, Ireland on the ten-year anniversary! Joan says, “Each year, we raise a glass and toast that awful day and all the days since, which we survived solely because of a bounty of blessings.”

Joan says the greatest blessing of all is that celebrating the Worst Day Ever has stripped away all the trivial stuff and shone a bright spotlight on all the important things, like faith, family, perseverance, love, and health. She said they don’t take any of those things for granted and they feel blessed to have them in abundance.



Amy Newmark