“What a delightful treat! Take a break to read a few stories from Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul. It will add more joy and love to your day.”
Gladys Knight
singer, entertainer
“At last, a Chicken Soup for women! It touched all of my emotions—I laughed, I cried, I was inspired. Thank you for touching my female soul.”
Olivia Newton-John
entertainer
“Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul is a fabulous collection of inspiring stories for women. What a phenomenal way to connect with other women! This book will definitely move your heart and uplift your spirit!”
Ann W. Richards
former governor of Texas
“As women, we give so much of our hearts and souls to others. Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul will fill you back up again with love, joy and inspiration, and help you celebrate your magical female spirit.”
Barbara DeAngelis
author, Real Moments
“It is not very often that one reads a book that entertains, uplifts and moves one to tears. Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul is one of those books. I highly recommend it.”
Susan Jeffers, Ph.D.
author, Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway and
End the Struggle and Dance with Life
“I loved Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul—this edition of the Chicken Soup books has particularly touched me! Please keep writing more, as I’ve grown to depend on these books throughout all of my many hours on airplanes!”
Daisy Fuentes
model, actress, spokesperson
“These stories remind us what it truly means to be a woman or girl in today’s complex world—to have the personal courage, self-esteem and mentors who will inspire us to reach our dreams. Every busy working woman should take a few minutes out of her day to read these stories. They will refresh, inspire and bring balance to the day!”
Leslie Smith
executive director, National Association for Female
Executives Women’s Foundation
“This serving of Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul has the power to heal the common cold of the human heart.”
Margareta Arvidsson Cederroth
former Miss Universe
“This beautiful collection of stories proclaims the richness of a tapestry of experience woven from the lives of women. These stories are refreshing and insightful; they help us become more self-aware and see with greater clarity those simple things that give meaning to our lives.”
Ellen Greene
classics professor, University of Oklahoma
“Reading Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul is an invitation to connect with what is best about our lives— faith, hope, charity and love. I’ll take two helpings please—one for me and one for a friend!”
Susan B. Wilson
CHICKEN SOUP
FOR THE
WOMAN’S SOUL
101 Stories to
Open the Hearts and Rekindle
the Spirits of Women
Jack Canfield
Mark Victor Hansen
Jennifer Read Hawthorne
Marci Shimoff
Health Communications, Inc.
Deerfield Beach, Florida
www.hcibooks.com
www.chickensoup.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Chicken soup for the woman’s soul: 101 stories to open the hearts and rekindle the spirits of women / [compiled by] Jack Canfield et al.
p. cm.
eISBN-13: 978-0-7573-9737-0 (ebook) eISBN-10: 0-7573-9737-9 (ebook)
1. Women—Conduct of life—Anecdotes. I. Canfield, Jack (date).
BJ1610.C522 1996 96-24700
158’.12—dc20 CIP
© 1996 John T. Canfield and Hansen and Hansen LLC
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.
HCI, its logos and marks are trademarks of Health Communications, Inc.
Publisher: Health Communications, Inc.
3201 S.W. 15th Street
Deerfield Beach, FL 33442–8190
R-09-07
Cover re-design by Lawna Patterson Oldfield
Phenomenal Woman
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms,
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they can’t see.
I say,
It’s in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
The palm of my hand,
The need for my care.
’Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
Maya Angelou
With love we dedicate this book to
the 2.9 billion phenomenal women of the world.
May these stories touch your hearts
and inspire your souls.
We also dedicate this book to our parents,
Ellen Taylor and Fred Angelis, Una and Paul Hansen,
Maureen and Brooks Read, and Louise and
Marcus Shimoff, for the extraordinary gifts of
love and life you have given us.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Share with Us
Introduction
1. ON LOVE
The White Gardenia Marsha Arons
Words from the Heart Bobbie Lippman
Mama’s Soup Pot Leo Buscaglia
Just in Time Dan Clark
Gifts of the Heart Sheryl Nicholson
The Other Woman David Farrell
Ramona’s Touch Betty Aboussie Ellis
“Are You God?” Dan Clark
The Electric Candlesticks Marsha Arons
More Than a Scholarship Stephanie Bu
llock
It Couldn’t Hurt Sandy Ezrine
A Goodnight Kiss Phyllis Volkens
Gifts Page Lambert
1,716 Letters Louise Shimoff
Martha’s Secret Ingredient Reminisce magazine
2. ON ATTITUDE AND SELF-ESTEEM
Be a Queen Oprah Winfrey
Home Is Where The Heart Is Roberta L. Messner
A Tale of Two Cities The Best of Bits & Pieces
Where Do the Mermaids Stand? Robert Fulghum
The Pirate Marjorie Wallé
So What Do You Grow? Philip Chard
Grandma Ruby Lynn Robertson
Problem or Solution? Edgar Bledsoe
Just the Way You Are Jennifer Read Hawthorne
True Beauty Charlotte Ward
Angela’s Word Barbara K. Bassett
Just Say Yes Fran Capo
The Gift of Gab Lynn Rogers Petrak
I Was a Sixth-Grade Scarecrow Linda Jessup
3. OVERCOMING OBSTACLES
If There’s a Will Kathie Lee Gifford and Stacey Nasalroad
We’ve Come a Long Way Pat Bonney Shepherd
And Justice Has Been Served The Best of Bits & Pieces
No Hair Day Alison Lambert with Jennifer Rosenfeld
Just Like You Carol Price
Little Red Wagons Patricia Lorenz
My Father’s Lessons Cathy Downs
Who to Believe? More Sower’s Seeds
The Marks of Life Diana Golden
Soaring Free Laurie Waldron
Tears of Joy Joan Fountain with Carol Kline
4. ON MARRIAGE
Home Forever Jean Bole
A Little Holiday Magic K. M. Jenkins
Paris in the Springtime Jennifer Read Hawthorne
Marriage Advice from 1886 Jane Wells
A Handful of Emeralds Rebecca Christian
What Women Don’t Understand About Guys Dave Barry
Lost and Found Elinor Daily Hall
Grandpa’s Valentine Elaine Reese
A Soldier’s Last Letter Maj. Sullivan Ballou
A Love Like That Linda Ellerbee
All the Days of My Life Jeanne Marie Laskas
5. ON MOTHERHOOD
It Will Change Your Life Dale Hanson Bourke
As I Watch You Sleep Diane Loomans
To My Grown-Up Son Author Unknown
Running Away Lois Krueger
Taking a Break The Best of Bits & Pieces
Help Wanted—The Ideal Mother Joan Beck
Graduation Day Mary Ann Detzler
A Mother’s Letter to the World Author Unknown
To Give the Gift of Life Patty Hansen
Mother’s Day Sharon Nicola Cramer
6. SPECIAL MOMENTS
In a Hurry Gina Barrett Schlesinger
No Small Act of Kindness Donna Wick
The Last Jar of Jelly Andy Skidmore
A Christmas Story Beverly M. Bartlett
Who Won? Dan Clark
Bush Sneakers Christine Harris-Amos with Cliff Marsh
Feather Light Melody Arnett
365 Days Rosemarie Giessinger
Spots of a Different Color Grazina Smith
7. LIVE YOUR DREAM
The Wind Beneath Her Wings Carol Kline with Jean Harper
What Do You Want to Be? Rev. Teri Johnson
Hello, Dolly! Dolly Parton
Finding My Wings Sue Augustine
Grandma Moses and Me Liah Kraft-Kristaine
“We’re All Here to Learn” Charles Slack
A Room of One’s Own Liah Kraft-Kristaine
Meeting Betty Furness Barbara Haines Howett
8. ON AGING
Keeping Up with Granny...and the “Old Guys” Teresa Bloomingdale
The Dancin’ Grannies Beverly Gemigniani with Carol Kline
A Romance of the ‘90s for Those in Their 70s Lillian Darr
Bessie Bessie Delaney
“Are We Having Fun Yet?” Kim Miller
9. HIGHER WISDOM
Asking for Miracles Maya Angelou
The Wise Woman’s Stone The Best of Bits & Pieces
Let It Be K. Lynn Towse with Mary L. Towse
We Are Not Alone Mary L. Miller
The Hijacking K. Bernard
Miracle in Toronto Sue West
War Story Maureen Read
Connection Susan B. Wilson
Higher Love Suzanne Thomas Lawlor
I Wonder Why Things Are the Way They Are Christy Carter Koski
10. ACROSS THE GENERATIONS
On Giving Birth Kay Cordell Whitaker
A Doll for Great-Grandmother Jacqueline Hickey
Walking One Another Home Rita Bresnahan
The Making of a Woman Doni Tamblyn
Tribute to Dad Debra Halperin Poneman
Memories of a Childhood Past Sasha Williams
Threads That Bind Ann Seely
Praise to the Women on My Journey Rev. Melissa M. Bowers
More Chicken Soup?
Supporting Women of the World
Who Is Jack Canfield?
Who Is Mark Victor Hansen?
Who Is Jennifer Read Hawthorne?
Who Is Marci Shimoff?
Contributors
Permissions
Acknowledgments
Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul has taken more than a year to write, compile and edit. It has been a true labor of love for all of us. One of the greatest joys in creating this book has been working with people who gave this project not just their time and attention, but their hearts and souls as well. We would like to thank the following people for their dedication and contributions, without which this book could not have been created:
Our families, who have given us love and support throughout this project, and have been chicken soup for our souls!
Dan Hawthorne, for always believing in us and in the importance of this project. Dan, thank you for helping us to keep our perspective and take ourselves lightly. We deeply appreciate your love and wonderful sense of humor!
Rusty Hoffman, for his unconditional love, his extraordinary support, his huge heart and his Internet expertise. Rusty, thank you for continually reminding us to enjoy the moment. You are a true saint!
Maureen H. Read, for reading and giving us feedback on hundreds of stories, and for always being there and cheering us on. We love you!
Louise and Marcus Shimoff, for their eternal support and love. We thank you for your constant willingness to research anything we needed, and for being one of our best sources of stories. We love you!
Elinor Hall, who assisted in every aspect of this project, from managing the Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul office to doing research and providing emotional support. No job was too big or too small, and we thank you for your love, your friendship and your bliss—we couldn’t have done it without you!
Ron Hall, for his unbounded consciousness, vision and love.
Carol Kline, for her great skill in reading and researching hundreds of stories, and for interviewing several women and writing their important stories for inclusion in the book. Carol, we are so grateful for your constant love and friendship.
Joanna Cox, for countless hours spent typing the preliminary manuscript and for always being there for us with infinite patience. We loved your steadying influence, and we loved working with you!
Nancy Berg and Eileen Lawrence, for their first-class job of editing numerous stories for us. We deeply appreciate the way you were able to capture the essence of Chicken Soup for the Soul in the stories you worked on.
Dan Clark, for sharing many of his stories and for working long and late hours editing stories to enable us to meet our deadlines.
Suzanne Lawlor, for her research and her generous heart. K. Bernard, Bobby Roth, Susan Shatkin, Emily Sledge and Mary Zeilbeck for their editing assistance.
Peter Vegso and Gary Seidler at Health Communications, Inc., for believing in this book from the moment it was proposed, and for getting it into the hands of mil
lions of readers. Thank you, Peter and Gary!
Christine Belleris, Matthew Diener and Mark Colucci, our editors at Health Communications, Inc., for their generous efforts in bringing this book to its high state of excellence.
Kim Weiss and Arielle Ford for their brilliant public relations efforts.
Patty Aubery and Nancy Mitchell, coauthors of Chicken Soup for the Surviving Soul, who guided us through the process of creating this book and never wavered in their encouragement and inspiration. Patty, thank you for always being there with answers and understanding. Nancy, thank you for an out standing job obtaining the permissions for the stories in this book.
Heather McNamara, for editing and preparing the final manuscript with such ease, talent and clarity. We deeply appreciate your patience and your valuable suggestions. You are a joy to work with!
Veronica Valenzuela and Julie Knapp, for helping in Jack’s office to make sure everything ran smoothly.
Rosalie Miller (Auntie Ro), who nourished us with her food and her love in the final weeks of preparing the manuscript.
Barry Spilchuk, for sharing with us stories, cartoons, quotes—and cookies when needed. Barry, we greatly appreciate your encouragement and your sense of humor!
Mark Tucker, for telling his audiences across the country about this book. His efforts resulted in hundreds of stories being contributed.
Recie Mobley, Diane Montgomery and Jenny Bryson, for putting out a call for stories to the professional speakers in their companies.
Mavis Cordero and Women Inc., for supporting our project and inviting us to participate in their New York conference for women, “Uncommon Women on Common Ground.”
Dan Fields, Elaine Glusac, Joann Landreth and Sheryl Vestal, for featuring Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul in their publications.
Bonnie Bartlett and Elizabeth Caulder, for their enthusiastic support, and for spreading the word about our call for stories.
Aliza Sherman of Cybergirl Internet Media, for designing our Web page and getting us onto the Internet.
The following people, who completed the monumental task of reading the preliminary manuscript of the book, helped us make the final selections and made invaluable comments on how to improve the book: Patty Aubery, Kim Banks, Christine Belleris, Pamela Bice, Laura Chitty, Lane Cole, Debbie Davis, Linda Lowe DeGraaff, Pam Finger, Elinor Hall, Jean Hammond, Stephany Harward, Amy Hawthorne, Rachel Jorgensen, Kimberly Kirberger, Robin Kotok, Nancy Leahy, Jeanette Lisefski, Priscilla Lynch, Teresa Lynch, Barbara McLoughlin, Karen McLoughlin, Heather McNamara, Barbara McQuaide, Jackie Miller, Nancy Mitchell, Cindy Palajac, Debra Halperin Poneman, Maureen H. Read, Wendy Read, Carol Richter, Loren Rose, Marjorie E. Rose, Heather Sanders, Wendy Sheets, Louise and Marcus Shimoff, Carolyn Strickland, Paula Thomas, Debra Way and Kim Wiele. We truly thank you for your heroic contribution!