Amy Newmark's Blog - Posts Tagged "mother-s-day"

Traci Langston viewed herself as shy and insecure, but her mother taught her a valuable lesson anyway: “The worst they can say is ‘no.’” Traci has learned to ask for what she wants, whether it’s something as simple as a better table in a restaurant, or as big as auditioning for a part in a play. This philosophy has led Traci to ask men out on dates, get prices lowered on things she’s buying, and even get a new job. Why? According to Tracy, “Because I asked. Because my mom was right.”

She was so frazzled she didn’t even know she was hungry, so when Abbie Dunlap’s mother swooped in to help her daughter with her newborn, that was one of the first problems she solved. She also sent her exhausted daughter to bed and stayed up all night with the baby. “Despite me being twenty-seven years old, my mom took care of me. I did not ask her to; she just did it. She didn’t sleep so that I could,” says a grateful Abbie.

Miranda Lamb was a difficult teenager, telling her mother that she hated her dozens of times. She didn’t think she needed her mother at all, and she moved out at age eighteen even though her mother told her she wasn’t ready. A few months later, Miranda called her mom late one night, crying and feeling helpless. Her mother merely said, “I’ll be right there.” Later that night, Miranda said “I love you” to her mother for the very first time.

These are but three of the 101 stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Mom Knows Best , which we call a “gift to moms, grandmothers, stepmothers, mothers-in-law, or honorary mothers, with stories that will make them laugh, tear up, nod their heads in recognition, and most importantly—know they’re appreciated.” That appreciation is important, because mothers spend years imparting unsolicited advice and often don’t hear much gratitude until their children are grown. It is a wonderful way for children of all ages to let their mothers and grandmothers know how much they are loved, how important their influence has been, and how much their children rely on them for comfort, too. It’s also a terrific way to admit to Mom that no matter what, we always end up agreeing that she’s right… and that we’re going to emulate her!

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

It's so true... we never stop needing our moms. They always know the right thing to say and the right thing to do. And somehow, like magic, they do it all!

In our new book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Magic of Moms, you'll find 101 stories of gratitude, wisdom and miracles lovingly collected from the Chicken Soup for the Soul library.

Here are previews of two of my favorite stories from the book where we see the magic of our moms:

Moms show us how to be of service to others.
In John Dorroh's story “Mom’s Secret Mission” John tells us that his mom would disappear every Christmas Eve for a few hours and he never knew why. It was only after her death that he learned where she had gone. A man wrote to him and explained that John’s mother had come to their house every Christmas Eve for the past seven years, dressed as Mrs. Claus and bringing gifts for the whole family.

Moms are always there when we need them.
Tiffany Mannino, in her story “Never Too Old to Want My Mommy,” recalls the day that she told her mother she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Her mother helped her through every step of her treatment and Tiffany says, “She was attending to my every need, both physically and emotionally, but who was attending to her needs?” She adds, “I know what my mother would say if I asked her that question. She would say, ‘That’s just what you do when you are a mother.’”


Amy Newmark