Erik Weihenmayer
228
Ode to the Champions
Tom Krause
234
Ask Creatively
The Best of Bits & Pieces
236
Never Say Quit
Bob Hoppenstedt
238
Struggle and Victory
Lila Jones Cathey
244
Mothers of Disabled Children
Erma Bombeck
250
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7. On Attitude
Third-Place Winner
Bettie B. Youngs
254
Challenger Baseball
Darrell J. Burnett
257
Don't Worry, Be Happy
Mindy Pollack-Fusi
260
The Wake
Melva Haggar Dye
266
The Power of Forgiveness
Chris Carrier
270
Happy Birthday
Willanne Ackerman
273
Manners
Paul Karrer
277
Born to Live, Born to Love
Eileen Goltz
279
Table Manners
Adele Frances
282
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
Karen Klosterman
286
8. A Matter of Perspective
Big Willy
290
Just Playing
Anita Wadley
292
The Cracked Pot
Willy McNamara
294
A Flight of Geese
Fred Lloyd Cochran
297
Sledding
Robin L. Silverman
299
The Hill
Betty J. Reid
302
The Halfway Point
Dennis J. Alexander
304
I Talk to Me
Phil Colburn
308
Obstacle Illusions
Heidi Marotz
310
My New Set of Wheels
Darlene Uggen
313
What Should I Fear?
David L. Weatherford
315
9. Eclectic Wisdom
What's Wrong with Your Dad?
Carol Darnell
318
Cyclops Stole Our Hearts
Penny Porter
321
An Act of Faith
Walter W. Meade
326
Benny's Balloon
Michael Cody
331
One, Two, Three
Henry Cuyler Bunner
333
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Mother's Hands
Janie Emaus
The Game
Christa Holder Ocker
339
Hussy Sunsets
Milly VanDerpool
343
Two Brothers
Willianne Ackerman
347
At Wit's End
Erma Bombeck
349
More Chicken Soup?
351
Supporting Others
352
Who Is Jack Canfield?
354
Who Is Mark Victor Hansen?
355
Who Is Heather McNamara?
356
Contributors
357
Permissions (continued)
368
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Chicken Soup for the Unsinkable Soul took more than three years to write, compile and edit. It has been a joyousthough often difficulttask, and we wish to thank the following people whose contributions have made it possible.
Our life partners, Inga, Patty and Rick, and our children, Christopher, Oran, Kyle, Elisabeth and Melanie, who have supported us for months through the process of compiling this book.
Georgia Noble, for being such a beautiful person and for sharing your heart with us.
Patty Aubery, who was always there when we needed her, as well as for keeping the whole Chicken Soup for the Soul central office up and running in the middle of what always feels like a tornado of activity.
Nancy Autio, our friend, thank you for your invaluable feedback and for your impeccable job researching and obtaining permissions.
Katy McNamara-Abatemarco, who read many of the stories, and who thought up the title that best befits the stories included in this book.
Cristi Leahs, who did an extraordinary job reading and researching stories. We deeply appreciate your support, your friendship and your loving attention to this project.
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Leslie Forbes, for an outstanding job starting the permission process and assisting whenever and wherever needed. D'ette Corona, a new addition at Chicken Soup Enterprises, for diving in at the end of this project and doing what she could to help.
Peter Vegso at Health Communications, Inc., for his continuing vision of the direction and value of Chicken Soup books, and for his unflagging support in getting these stories out to people all over the world.
Veronica Valenzuela, Robin Yerian, Lisa Williams, Laurie Hartman and Deborah Hatchell for working to make sure everything ran smoothly during the production of this book.
Rosalie Miller, who kept all of the communication flowing efficiently throughout this project, all while triumphing over her own obstacles.
Teresa Esparza, who brilliantly coordinated all of Jack's speaking, travel and radio and television appearances during this time.
Christine Belleris, Matthew Diener, Lisa Drucker and Allison Janse, our editors at Health Communications, Inc., for bringing this book to its high state of excellence. You bring such value to the Chicken Soup series. You also never falter in the support department; we thank you for that.
Erica and Maryanne Orloff, Ann Reeves and Eric Wing for their brilliant edits and input on the stories in this book.
Randee Feldman, Chicken Soup for the Soul manager at Health Communications, Inc., for her masterful coordination and support of all the Chicken Soup projects.
Terry Burke and the sales team, Kelly Maragni and the marketing team at Health Communications, Inc., for their wonderful sales and marketing efforts.
Lisa Camp at Health Communications, Inc., for working with us so patiently and cooperatively on the cover design of this book. And Lawna Oldfield and Dawn Grove for
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their skillful typesetting of the book.
We also want to thank 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: Tamy Aberson, Willanne Ackerman, Jerry Acuña, Fred Angelis, Nancy Autio, Christine Belleris, Bonnie Block, Nora Bridges, Julie Brookhart, Dave and Marsha Carruthers, Diana Chapman, Linda Rohland Day, Mary Jane West Delgado, Eldon Edwards, Nancy Richard Guilford, Elinor Hall Sandra Hutchins, Allison Janse, Bettie Kapiloff, Robin Kotok, Tom Krause, Lillian Lamb, Cristi Leahs, Audrey Lohr, Barbara LoMonaco, Robert MacPhee, Danny and Laura McNamara, Joan McVittie, Suzanne Ohler, Judie Sinclair, Milly VanDerpool, Danene Van Hecker and Dottie Walters.
To the more than five thousand ''Daily Soup" subscribers who answered our call for a title with wonderful suggestions. You all played an integral part in deciding the title of this book!
Larry and Linda Price, who, in addition to keeping Jack's Foundation for Self-Esteem operating smoothly, continue to administrate the Soup Kitchens for t
he Soul project, which distributes thousands of Chicken Soup for the Soul books free each year to prisoners, halfway houses, homeless shelters, battered women's shelters and inner-city schools.
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To Kim Weiss, who is a pleasure, a great publicist and a great friend. And to Kim's diligent and conscientious staff, Larry Getlen and Ronni O'Brien.
Rick Frischman at Planned Television Arts and Newmann Communications, who continue to help us keep our books on the bestseller lists.
Claude Choquette and Tom Sand, who manage year after year to get each of our books translated into more than twenty languages around the world.
We also wish to thank the more than eight thousand people who took the time to submit stories, poems and other pieces for consideration. You all know who you are. While many of the stories submitted were wonderful, most did not fit into the overall structure of the book. However, many will be used in future volumes of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.
Because of the immensity of this project, we may have left out names of some people who helped us along the way. If so, we are sorry. Please know that we really do appreciate all of you.
We are truly grateful for the many hands and hearts that made this book possible. We love you all!
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INTRODUCTION
Unsinkable Soul (un sink a'bel sol *) noun. 1. Person who faces any challenge with hope, humor and heart. See stick-to-it-ness. See perseverance. See pit bull. See also victory.
Since the first Chicken Soup for the Soul book was released, readers continue to tell us that their favorite chapter is Overcoming Obstacles.
It's no wonder. We all face obstaclessome are tiny hurdles that may trip us up for a time before we land on our feet; others loom like ominous clouds, sending even the bravest souls in search of shelter. How we handle these situations determines the course of our life; whether we will live with fear and anger or acceptance and joy.
We compiled Chicken Soup for the Unsinkable Soul to help readers overcome the obstacles in their daily lives, whether they' re dealing with an emotional loss, battling an illness, experiencing the ups and downs of pursuing a lifelong dream, or trying to make themselves a better person.
From the humorous to the heroic, from the extraordinary to the everyday, each story emphasizes victory in spite of the odds. For instance, you'll share in the triumph of a determined climber who scaled one of the world's most challenging mountains despite being blind; a
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middle-aged woman who took a chance on a new career and became an award-winning columnist; a little girl with a stuttering problem who found her voice at a school pageant; and a young mother who was suddenly paralyzed but chose to embrace the positive over pity.
With each turn of the page in chapters like Taking the Challenge and Living Your Dream, you'll find yourself amazed at how others have taken risks and kept their faith even when others told them, "It can't be done!"
The chapters on Attitude and A Matter of Perspective will show you how to view life through hopeful eyesto see a hurdle as a possible stepping stone to something greatand to appreciate the things you have.
You'll come to realize the priceless value of unconditional support by reading The Power of Love and The Power of Support. We hope these stories encourage you to reach out to others when you need help and to open your heart to someone who needs a shoulder on which to lean.
And finally, Eclectic Wisdom proves that many times obstacles are our best teachers: They shine a light on our strengths; remind us of the areas we need to improve; show us to have faith in ourselves; and force us to accept things that are beyond our control.
We offer this book as a gift to you. We hope you find it an instrument of strength and a constant reminder that you do have the power to achieve your dreams.
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SHARE WITH US
We would love to hear your reactions to this book. Please let us know what your favorite stories were and how they affected you. Tell us if you want to see more or less of something in the next book, and please tell us if a story resulted in you changing in any way.
We also invite you to send us items you would like to see published in future editions of Chicken Soup for the Unsinkable Soul. You can send us stories, poems and cartoons you have written or ones written by others (from the newspaper, newsletters, magazines, bulletin boards, refrigerator, etc.).
It is our belief that the next book will be even better because so many more of you will know about it and will submit your stories for consideration.
Write to us and send your submissions to:
Chicken Soup for the Unsinkable Soul
P.O. Box 30880-U
Santa Barbara, CA 93130
fax: 805-563-2945
You can also submit a story or send an e-mail by visiting our Web site at: www.chickensoup.com.
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[Editors' Note: John Callahan's sense of humor is shaped in part by his being a
quadriplegic, but also by his being an adopted child, having been educated in
Catholic schools, and being a recovered alcoholic.] Reprinted by permission of
Levin Represents.
Page 1
1
TAKING THE CHALLENGE
A ship in port is safe, but this is not what ships are built for.
Grace Hopper
Page 2
Growing Roots
Our strength grows out of our weakness.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
When I was growing up, I had an old neighbor named Dr. Gibbs. He didn't look like any doctor I'd ever known. Every time I saw him, he wore denim overalls and a straw hat, the front brim of which was green sunglass plastic. He smiled a lot, a smile that matched his hatold and crinkly and well worn. He never yelled at us for playing in his yard. I remember him as someone who was a lot nicer than circumstances warranted.