Amy Newmark's Blog - Posts Tagged "inspiration"

Whether an experienced grandparent, or a grand-parent-to-be, you'll love these 101 heartwarming, amusing and inspirational stories in our book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Grandparents .

We've all witnessed that special bond between grandparents and their grandchildren— it's filled with unconditional love, understanding, admiration, and even a few secrets!

The bond comes about in so many different ways — here are two of my favorite examples from the book where grandparents have created that special connection:

Make magical things happen, because grandparents can do that.
Thalia Dunn lived across the street from her grandparents and spent a lot of time with her grandfather in his garden, where he grew flowers and vegetables and had beautiful flowering trees, including a magnificent magnolia. That magnolia tree was perfect for climbing, but Thalia couldn’t get over her fear. Finally, her grandfather came up with the perfect solution. One day, he waved her over to his house and showed her that the magnolia tree had magically bloomed with colorful lollipops instead of blossoms. Thalia forgot her fear and climbed right up that tree, gathering handfuls of lollipops.

Provide that unconditional, non-judgmental support.
Five-year-old Evan Purcell didn’t understand why he liked different things than other boys, but he enjoyed singing songs from The Little Mermaid and having tea parties with the neighborhood girls. Then he shocked his extended family when he chose what they considered to be a girl’s item as his prize with the tickets he won at the arcade. His cousins were laughing at him, so he quickly picked something else. That was when his Nana spoke up. She told the arcade girl to give him the prize he had picked first. Evan says, “I didn’t realize at the time what a big moment this was, both for me and my family.” Years later, he would understand the love and support that Nana Shirl provided that day.

Amy Newmark

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

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

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, "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

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

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

National Grandparents Day is September 8, 2019 — it's a perfect opportunity to show your grandparents how much they mean to you!

The collection of stories in our book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Grandparents explores the unconditional love and magical connection we have with our grandparents.

It's a nice way to show them how much you appreciate all the joy, wisdom and love they bring into your life!


Amy Newmark

Positive thinking is a wonderful tool for dealing with the ups and downs of life. It is a skill that can be deliberately learned, not just a trait that some people have and others don’t.

In our new book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Think Positive, Live Happy our writers share the ways they used positive thinking to overcome both major challenges and everyday issues.

Here are two of my favorite stories from the book that show you ways to use positive thinking to create a better life for yourself!

Turn everyday disasters into joyous moments.
In her story, " A Plague of Joy," Heidi Allen’s husband had to stay late at work so she was shopping and preparing for a dinner party all by herself. She also had to do an errand with her sons, picking up a bag of crickets for their lizards at the pet store. They got home with only 45 minutes to spare before the party, and then disaster struck. Somehow, as the boys were pouring the crickets into a receptacle, they got out. Heidi screamed and scrambled onto a chair. She was so frustrated and angry that she was about to start yelling when, as she says it, “The most amazing thing happened. As I watched my two sweet boys try frantically to capture the crickets, it felt like time slowed down, and I saw the situation clearly for the first time. They were running around like lunatics, screaming with laughter.” Heidi burst into laughter, too, and joined in the chase. And for weeks afterward, whenever Heidi heard a cricket chirping somewhere in the house, all she felt was joy.

Relax and give up control once in a while.
In the story, "The View from the Back Seat," Joan Borton learns that once you’ve been in charge, it’s hard to sit back and let someone else tell you what to do. It happened when Joan Borton’s career ended and she took two part-time jobs instead. Suddenly, she was subordinate to people who were younger than her. She was even relegated to the back seat of the car on a business trip, with two co-workers sitting in the front. Initially, it was hard to give up the leadership position, but Joan says, “I learned that the view from the back seat is beautiful. I am more aware of others and situations around me. I am not anxious to change that any time soon. If someone had told me years ago that I would find joy and fulfillment by stepping back I would have scoffed.” Giving up control at work yielded benefits in other areas, too, as Joan realized she could step back from always being in control in the rest of her life, including her marriage.


Amy Newmark

Everyone could use a little more positive thinking in their life. Right? I know that when I practice gratitude and mindfulness, I feel better!

Did you know a recent study by the Harvard School of Public Health said that people who are optimistic live on average 11 to 15% longer, and they have a 50% greater shot of making it to age 85? Amazing!

The power of positive thinking is real!

That’s why I love our new book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Think Positive, Live Happy . The book is filled with stories of people who deliberately became more positive and found their lives transformed. They used gratitude and mindfulness to find pleasure in everyday moments; they tried new things; they found new perspectives by looking outside their own experience; and all these actions were part of a decision to actively use positive thinking.

Here’s one of my favorite stories from the book about practicing gratitude and gladtitude.

Practice gratitude to permanently change your perspective.
In her story, "My Glatitude Journal," Ann Morrow couldn’t force herself to keep a daily gratitude journal no matter how many times she tried. She already kept a regular journal of her thoughts and ideas, and having to make a list of five things she was thankful for each day didn’t resonate with her. But then, one day, years after giving up the gratitude journal idea, she started reading through her old regular journals and discovered that she did indeed have much to be grateful for. Even though she thought she had tried and failed over the years to accomplish the major goals that were suggested by the various self-help books she had read, she realized that in her own way, slowly but surely, she had accomplished a lot! Now she willingly keeps what she calls a “gladitude” journal, in which she keeps track of what went right each day and what Ann calls “the little wins.” Her new gladitude journal reminds her that “nothing is too small to be celebrated” and that she needs to give herself credit for the progress she is making.


Amy Newmark