Stories
and Inspirational Messages:
What
I've Learned So Far (Part I)
When you're confused,
sit down and think it through. Ignore people who put you down. Never, ever,
ever give up on yourself. - Andrea Gwyn, 12
If nothing is in the
refrigerator, don't eat dog food. Never cheat because it's not worth it.
- Samantha Jean Fritz, 9
When your dad or mom
slams the door when they come home from work, it is best to stay out of
their way. If you don't care what grades you get, and do badly in school,
the main words in your vocabulary will be, "Do you want fries with that?"
- Michelle Nicole Rodgers, 10
Never ask your dad to
help you with a math problem. It will turn out to be a three-hour lesson.
If you have a problem
or secret, share it with your mom. - KT Adnoff, 13
Check if there is toilet
paper before you sit down. Don’t make a bad impression on your neighbors
when you first move in. Laugh at your parents' jokes. - Natalie Citro,
12
When my parents are talking,
not to interrupt but wait until later. Unless, someone is bleeding or something.
- Alle Vitrano, 8
Read the book before
you have to go in front of the class to give a report. Never leave your
little sister alone with your stuff. - Amanda Smith, 12
If you wear a child's
extra large in clothes, an adult small is too big. If someone dies, think
about the good, not the bad. The bad will make you feel worse. Don't judge
people by their looks. Someone could be the ugliest person in the world
and still be nice. - Ashlee Gray, 9
When your mom is mad,
hide the stuff that you don't want thrown away. - Katie Fata, 10
When you tell a lie you
have to keep telling a lie. When your parents get divorced, you have to
move on. - Ronnie Evans, 10
When you take off your
sweatshirt your shirt comes up. - Ben Hall, 10
You only have one life.
So be careful. When your friends do something stupid, you don't have to
follow. If you think something will taste bad, it will. If you think something
will taste good...it might. -
Maria McLane, 9
If you write somebody's
name wrong, it makes them feel bad. - Benjamin Mitchell, 10
From Chicken Soup for
the Kid's Soul Copyright 1998 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Patty
Hansen and Irene Dunlap (TOP)
(Back to Stories Index)
Seeing,
Really Seeing:
His nose was all smooshed
looking, like maybe his mom had dropped him when he was a baby. His ears
were two -- maybe even two and a half -- sizes too big for his head. And
his eyes! His eyes bulged like they were ready to pop right out of their
sockets. His clothes were nice, Tim had to admit. But he was still the
homeliest kid he had ever seen.
So why was he leaning
on Jennifer Lawrence's locker like they were best friends or something?
She was a cheerleader and one of the coolest girls in school. And why was
she smiling at him instead of twisting her nose all funny like she did
when she looked at Tim? Strange, he thought. Really strange.
By lunchtime, Tim had
forgotten about the new kid. He sat down at his usual table...in the corner,
all alone. Tim was a loner. He wasn't as ugly as the new kid, just a little
on the heavy side and kind of nerdy. Nobody talked to Tim much, but he
was used to it. He had adjusted.
About halfway through
his peanut butter and ketchup sandwich (he put ketchup on everything) Tim
looked up and saw that kid again. He was holding his lunch tray and standing
over Jennifer, grinning like he'd just aced a math test. And she was grinning,
too. Then she moved over and made room on the bench next to her. Strange.
Really strange.
But even stranger was
what the new kid did. Tim would have plunked into that seat so fast, his
lunch bag would have been left behind just hanging in the air. But not
this new kid. He shook his head, looked around, and walked straight to
Tim’s table.
"Mind if I join you?"
he said.
Just like that. Mind if
I join you? Like the entire eighth grade is fighting to sit at my table
or something, Tim thought.
"Sure," Tim said. "I mean
no. I don't mind."
So the kid sat down. And
he came back, day after day, until they were friends. Real friends.
Tim had never had a real
friend before, but Jeff -- that was his name, Jeff -- invited Tim to his
house, on trips with his family, and even hiking. Right! Tim – hiking!
Funny thing was...one
day Tim realized he wasn't so heavy anymore. All that hiking, I guess,
thought Tim. And kids were talking to him, nodding to him in the hallways,
and even asking him questions about assignments and things. And Tim was
talking to them. He wasn't a loner anymore.
When Jeff sat by Tim one
day at lunch, Tim had to ask him, "Why did you sit with me that first day?
Didn't Jen ask you to sit with her?"
"Sure, she asked. But
she didn't need me."
"Need you?"
"You did."
"I did?"
Tim hoped that nobody
was listening. This is really a dumb conversation, he thought.
"You were sitting all
alone," explained Jeff. "You looked lonely and scared."
"Scared?"
"Uh huh, scared. I knew
that look. I used to have one too, just like it."
"You?" Tim couldn't believe
it.
"Maybe you didn't notice,
but I'm not exactly the best looking guy in school. At my old school, I
always sat alone, with my eyes on my lunch. I was afraid that if I looked
up I would see everyone laughing at me."
"You?" Tim knew he sounded
stupid, but he couldn't picture Jeff sitting all by himself. He’s so friendly.
"Me. It took a friend
to help me see that I wasn't alone because of my nose or my ears. I was
alone because I never smiled or took an interest in people. Other people.
I was so concerned about myself, that I never paid attention to anyone
else. That's why I sat with you. To let you know that someone cared. Jennifer
already knew."
"Oh, she knows, all right,"
Tim said, as he watched two guys fighting to sit near her. Tim and Jeff
both laughed. It felt good to laugh, and I've been doing a lot of it lately,
realized Tim.
Then Tim looked at Jeff.
Really looked. He isn’t so bad looking, Tim thought. Oh, not handsome or
anything like that. But he isn't homely. Jeff is my friend. That's when
Tim realized that he was seeing Jeff for the first time. Months earlier
all that Tim had seen were a funny-looking nose and "Dumbo ears." Now he
was seeing Jeff, really seeing Jeff.
By Marie P. McDougal from
Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul Copyright 1998 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor
Hansen, Patty Hansen and Irene Dunlap
(TOP)
(Back to Stories Index)
Top
10 Things You Won't Have To Worry About With The Y2K Bug:
Submitted by Dave Singer
10. The Bible will
still have the answers.
9. Prayer
will still work.
8. The Holy
Spirit will still move.
7. God will
still inhabit praise.
6. There
will still be anointed preaching.
5. There
will still be the singing of praise.
4. God will
still pour out blessings on His people.
3. There
will be room at the cross for His children.
2. Jesus
loves you.
(And the number one thing
you won't have to worry about with the Y2K
bug)
1. Jesus still
saves.
Pray that People will
become Y2K compliant! That they will turn to Jesus and say:
"Y(es) 2 the K(ing!)"
(TOP)
(Back to Stories Index)
To
Track Down My Dream:
It was the district track
meet - the one we had been training for all season. My foot still hadn’t
healed from an earlier injury. As a matter of fact, I had debated whether
or not I should attend the meet. But there I was, preparing for the 3,200-meter
run.
"Ready...set..." The gun
popped and we were off. The other girls darted ahead of me. I realized
I was limping and felt humiliated as I fell farther and farther behind.
The first-place runner
was two laps ahead of me when she crossed the finish line. "Hooray!" shouted
the crowd. It was the loudest cheer I had ever heard at a meet.
"Maybe I should quit,"
I thought as I limped on. "Those people don’t want to wait for me to finish
this race." Somehow, though, I decided to keep going. During the last two
laps, I ran in pain and decided not to compete in track next year. It wouldn’t
be worth it, even if my foot did heal. I could never beat the girl who
lapped me twice.
When I finished, I heard
a cheer - just as enthusiastic as the one I’d heard when the first girl
passed the finish line. "What was that all about?" I asked myself. I turned
around and sure enough, the boys were preparing for their race. "That must
be it; they’re cheering for the boys."
I went straight to the
bathroom where a girl bumped into me. "Wow, you’ve got courage!" she told
me.
I thought, "Courage? She
must be mistaking me for someone else. I just lost a race!"
"I would have never been
able to finish those two miles if I were you. I would have quit on the
first lap. What happened to your foot? We were cheering for you. Did you
hear us?"
I couldn’t believe it.
A complete stranger had been cheering for me - not because she wanted me
to win, but because she wanted me to keep going and not give up. Suddenly
I regained hope. I decided to stick with track next year. One girl saved
my dream.
That day I learned two
things:
First, a little kindness
and confidence in people can make a great difference to them.
And second, strength and
courage aren’t always measured in medals and victories. They are measured
in the struggles we overcome. The strongest people are not always the people
who win, but the people who don’t give up when they lose.
I only dream that someday
- perhaps as a senior - I will be able to win the race with a cheer as
big as the one I got when I lost the race as a freshman.
By Ashley Hodgeson from
Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul Copyright 1997 by Jack Canfield, Mark
Victor Hansen and Kimberly Kirberger (TOP)
(Back to Stories Index)
What
I’ve Learned So Far (Part II):
A promise is a promise. Ask before you
touch something that isn’t yours. If you make someone cry, say that you’re
sorry. You’re never too big to ask for help. Being nice can get you somewhere.
People who do mean things to you are
not your friends. Cats are not water-resistant. Don’t ride your bike on
ice. Never tell stuff to other friends that another friend said. Never,
ever say, "I hate you." Take turns using stuff. Don’t use the front brake
on your bike first. If you slow down and take your time, your work is better.
Don’t smart off to the teacher. You will get there just as fast if you
don’t push and shove, and no one will be mad at you. Don’t tease a girl
if she is wearing boots.
Wear comfortable shoes on field days.
Don’t bother Chad. - Mrs. Pat Wheeler’s fourth grade class
Don’t get hit in the stomach right after
you eat. Don’t ever unplug the computer. You do have a dream... Never run
with your shoelaces untied. Never throw overhand when playing egg toss.
- Miss Tracey Alvey’s fourth grade class
Never sleep with gum in your mouth.
- Ashley Parole, 12
Don’t go in somebody’s backyard that
you don’t know, especially if it says "Beware of Dog". -
Nedim Pajevic, 13
You don’t have to win a race to feel
good about yourself, all you have to do is finish. Never, ever give up.
- Rebecca Rymer, 12
Don’t cough or sneeze in other people’s
faces, especially if you don’t know them. - Karen Perdue, 12
Pain is not good. Girls are more important
than you think. - Philip Maupin, 13
Don’t bug your mom when she’s going
to have a baby. - Elvis Hernandez, 12
Life is like a "choose your own ending"
book – you can take whatever adventures you want. -
Erika Towles, 12
Keep your room dirty so your mom will
be afraid to come in, and then she won’t take your stuff. -
Geoff Rill, 12
When your mom’s on a diet, don’t eat
chocolate in front of her. - Corey Schiller, 12
Don’t mess with a kid bigger than you
are. - David Neira, 12
When my teacher gets mad, she really
gets mad. The funnier you are, the better life is. - Lauren Aitch, 10
Moving was the hardest thing I have
ever done in my life. I can’t hide my lima beans in my sister’s milk cup.
- Evan de Armond, 12
Attitudes are contagious. Don’t make
fun of someone doing their best. - Mikie Montmorency, 12
Don’t tell a teacher your dog ate your
homework, especially if you don’t have a dog. - Raelyn Ritchie, 12
From Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul
Copyright 1998 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Patty Hansen and Irene
Dunlap (TOP)
(Back to Stories Index)
Enduring
Labor:
The nurse approached him, smiling. "The
labor is going great," she said. "Wouldn't you like to come in?"
"Oh, no." The man shook his head.
The nurse returned to the mother's side,
and the labor progressed smoothly. As the birth neared, the nurse returned
to the man, now pacing frantically in the hall. "She's doing so well,"
she assured him. "Wouldn't you like to at least come in and see her?"
The man seemed to hesitate slightly,
then shook his head again. "No, no, I couldn't do that." He jingled car
keys in his sweaty palm and resumed his pacing.
The nurse went back into the room and
coached Mom's valiant efforts in pushing the baby into the world. As the
baby's head began to exit the birth canal, the nurse raced to the hall,
grabbed the man by his elbow, and dragged him to the bedside saying, "You
have got to see this!"
At that very moment, the baby boy was
born and placed on the tummy of the mother whose radiant smile shone through
her tears. The man began to cry openly. Turning to the nurse, he sobbed.
"You were right! This is the greatest moment in my life!"
By now, the nurse, too, was tearful.
She put her arm around him, and he rested his head on her shoulder. She
soothed, "No one should miss the birth of their son."
"This isn't my son," the man blubbered.
"This isn't even my wife. I've never seen her before in my life. I was
just bringing the car keys to my buddy across the hall!"
By LeAnn Thieman from A Second Chicken
Soup for the Woman's Soul Copyright 1998 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor
Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne and Marci Shimoff (TOP)
(Back to Stories Index)
The Home
Run:
On June 18th, I went to my little brother’s
baseball game as I always did. Cory was 12 years old at the time and had
been playing baseball for a couple of years. When I saw that he was warming
up to be next at bat, I decided to head over to the dugout to give him
a few pointers. But when I got there, I simply said, "I love you."
In return, he asked, "Does this mean
you want me to hit a home run?"
I smiled and said, "Do your best."
As he walked up to the plate, there
was a certain aura about him, He looked so confident and so sure about
what he was going to do. One swing was all he took and, wouldn’t you know,
he hit his first home run! He ran around those bases with such pride -
his eyes sparkled and his face was lit up. But what touched my heart the
most was when he walked back over to the dugout. He looked over at me with
the biggest smile I’ve ever seen and said, "I love you too, Ter."
I don’t remember if his team won or
lost that game. On that special summer day in June, it simply didn’t matter.
by Terri Vandermark from Chicken Soup
for the Teenage Soul Copyright 1997 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen
and Kimberly Kirberger (TOP)
(Back to Stories Index)
Best Friends:
"Please stay," I begged.
Ann was my best friend, the only other
girl in the neighborhood, and I didn't want her to go.
She sat on my bed, her blue eyes blank.
"I'm bored," she said, slowly twirling
her thick red pigtail around her finger. She had come to play a half-hour
ago.
"Please don't go," I pleaded. "Your
mother said you could stay an hour."
Ann started to get up, then spotted
a pair of miniature Indian moccasins on my bedside table. With their bright-colored
beads on buttery leather, the moccasins were my most cherished possession.
"I'll stay if you'll give me those,"
Ann said.
I frowned. I couldn't imagine parting
with the moccasins. "But Aunt Reba gave them to me," I protested.
My aunt had been a beautiful, kind woman.
I had really adored her. She was never too busy to spend time with me.
We made up silly stories and laughed and laughed. The day she died, I cried
under a blanket for hours, unable to believe that I would never see her
again. Now, when I cuddled the soft moccasins in my hands, I was filled
with fond memories of Aunt Reba.
"Come on," prodded Ann. "I'm your best
friend." As if she needed to remind me!
I don't know what came over me, but
more than anything, I wanted someone to play with me. I wanted someone
to play with so much that I handed Ann the moccasins!
After she stuffed them in her pocket,
we rode our bikes up and down the alley a few times. Soon it was time for
her to go. Upset at what I had done, I didn't feel like playing anyway.
I pleaded "not hungry" that evening
and dragged off to bed without dinner. Once up in my room, I began to really
miss those moccasins!
When my mom had tucked me in and turned
out the light, she asked me what was wrong. Through my tears, I told her
how I had betrayed Aunt Reba's memory and how ashamed I felt.
Mom hugged me warmly, but all she could
say was, "Well, I guess you'll have to decide what to do."
Her words didn't seem to help. Alone
in the dark, I began to think more clearly. Kids’ code says you don't give,
then take back. But was it a fair trade? Why did I let Ann toy with my
feelings? But most off all, is Ann really my best friend?
I decided what I would do. I tossed
and turned all night, dreading daylight.
At school the next day, I cornered Ann.
I took a deep breath and asked for the moccasins. Her eyes narrowed and
she stared at me for a long time.
Please, I was thinking. Please.
"Okay," she said finally, producing
the moccasins from her pocket. "I didn't like them anyway." Relief washed
over me like a wave.
After awhile, Ann and I stopped playing
together. I discovered the neighborhood boys weren't half-bad, especially
when they asked me to play softball. I even made girlfriends in other neighborhoods.
Through the years, I have had other
best friends. But I have never again begged for their company. I have come
to understand that best friends are people who want to spend time with
you, and they ask nothing in return.
By Mary Beth Olson from Chicken Soup
for the Kid’s Soul Copyright 1998 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen,
Patty Hansen and Irene Dunlap
(TOP)
(Back to Stories Index)
Be Yourself:
President Calvin Coolidge once invited
friends from his hometown to dine at the White House. Worried about their
table manners, the guests decided to do everything that Coolidge did. This
strategy succeeded, until coffee was served. The president poured his coffee
into the saucer. The guests did the same. Coolidge added sugar and cream.
His guests did, too. Then Coolidge bent over and put his saucer on the
floor for the cat.
By Erik Oleson from Condensed Chicken
Soup for the Soul Copyright 1996 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen &
Patty Hansen (TOP)
(Back to Stories Index)
If
I Could Do It, You Can Too!:
I began life, literally, with nothing.
Given up as an infant by my biological mother, an unmarried young woman
from the small town of Moose Jaw in Saskatchewan, Canada, I was adopted
by a poor, middle-aged couple, John and Mary Linkletter.
My adoptive father was one of the warmest
men I’ve ever known, but he had absolutely no ability as a businessman.
A part-time evangelical preacher, he also tried selling insurance, running
a small general store and making shoes, all rather unsuccessfully. Eventually
we found ourselves living in a charity home run by a local church in San
Diego. Then Dad Linkletter felt called by God to become a full-time preacher,
and we had even less money. And what we did have was usually shared with
whatever neighborhood derelict happened to be looking for a meal.
I graduated from high school early and
hit the road as a hobo at the tender age of 16 with the idea of finding
my fortune. One of the first things I found, however, was the wrong end
of a pistol: my traveling companion and I were held up by a couple of toughs
who found us sleeping in a boxcar.
"Put your hands straight out and lie
flat!" one of the men ordered. "If this match goes out and I hear anything
more I’ll shoot." As they searched our pockets and felt around our middles,
I wondered if money was all they wanted. I was frightened because I had
heard stories of older hobos sexually attacking young boys. Just then,
the match went out ... and was hastily relit. We did not move! The thieves
found $1.20 on me but missed $10.00 I had sewn into my coat lining. They
also took two dollars from my friend, Denver Fox.
The match went out again and I could
tell by their hesitation that they were undecided about something. As Denver
and I lay there, inches apart in the darkness, I heard the hammer of the
pistol click back and a cold chill ran down my back. I knew they were considering
killing us. There was little risk for them. The rain hammering down on
the outside of the boxcar would drown out any noise. Frozen with terror,
I thought of my father and how he would have prayed for me had he known.
Suddenly fear left me and peace and calm returned. As if in response to
my own restored self-assurance, they moved back toward us. Then I could
feel one of the men push something against my arm.
"Here’s your thirty cents," he said.
"Breakfast money."
Today I can look back on 45 years as
a star of two of the longest-running shows in broadcasting history; I can
reflect on the success I’ve had as a businessman, author, and lecturer;
and I can be proud of my wonderful family life - 58 years with the same
wife, five children, seven grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.
I mention this not to be boastful but to encourage others who are at the
lower rung of the economic ladder. Keep in mind where I started and remember,
if I could do it, you can, too! Yes - you can!
By Art Linkletter from Chicken Soup
for the Soul Copyright 1993 by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen
(TOP)
(Back to Stories Index)
Thirty-Nine
Years - Too Short - Too Long - Long Enough:
Oh, the worst of all tragedies is not
to die young, but to live until I am seventy-five and yet not ever truly
to have lived. Martin Luther King Jr.
From 1929 to 1968 is only 39 short years.
Too short to gather the fruits of your
labor
Too short to comfort your parents when
your brother drowns
Too short to comfort your father when
mother dies
Too short to see your children finish
school
Too short to ever enjoy grandchildren
Too short to know retirement
Thirty-nine years is just too short.
From 1929 to 1968 is only 39 short
years, yet it's
Too long to be crippled by the manacles
of segregation and the chains of discrimination, it's
Too long to stand in the quicksand
of racial injustices, it's
Too long to receive threatening phone
calls, often at the rate of forty per day, it's
Too long to live under the sweltering
heat
of continuous pressure, it's
Too long, 39 years is just too long.
From 1929 to 1968 is only 39 short
years, yet it's
Long enough.
It's long enough to journey all the
way to India to learn under a great teacher how to walk through angry crowds
and keep cool.
It's long enough to be chased by police
dogs and lashed by the rushing waters from the fireman's hoses because
you are dramatizing the fact that justice has a way of eluding me and my
brother.
It's long enough to spend many days
in jail while protesting the plight of others.
It's long enough to have a bomb thrown
into your home.
It's long enough to teach angry violent
men to be still while you pray for the bombers.
It's long enough.
It's long enough to lead many men to
Christianity.
It's long enough to know it's better
to go to war for justice than to live in peace with injustices.
It's long enough to know that more
appalling than bigotry and hatred are those who sit still and watch injustices
each day in silence.
It's long enough to realize that injustices
are undiscriminating and people of all races and creeds experience its
cruel captivity sooner or later.
It's long enough.
It's long enough to know that when
one uses civil disobedience for his civil rights, he does not break the
laws of the Constitution of the United States of America - rather he seeks
to uphold the principles all men are created equal; he seeks to break down
local ordinances that have already broken the laws of the Constitution
of the United States.
It's long enough.
It's long enough to accept invitations
to speak to the nation's leaders.
It's long enough to address thousands
of people on hundreds of different occasions.
It's long enough to lead 200,000 people
to the nation's capital to dramatize that all of America's people are heirs
to the property of rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
It's long enough to enter college at
15.
It's long enough to finish and earn
several degrees.
It's long enough to earn hundreds of
awards.
It's long enough to marry and father
four children.
It's long enough to become a drum major
for peace.
It's long enough to earn a Nobel Peace
Prize.
It's long enough to give the $54,000
prize money to the cause of justice.
It's long enough to visit the mountain
top.
It's certainly long enough to have
a dream.
When we note how much Martin Luther
King packed into 39 short years, we know it's long enough for any man who
loves his country and his fellow man so much that life itself has no value
- unless all men can sit at the table of brotherhood as brothers. Thirty-nine
years is long enough - for any man to knowingly flirt with death each day
of his life - because to spare himself heartaches and sorrow meant two
steps backward for his brother tomorrow.
Martin lived for several centuries,
all rolled into 39 short years. His memory will live forever. How wonderful
it would be if we could all live as well.
Martin, like all others, would have
welcomed longevity - yet when he weighed the facts, he said, "It's not
how long a man lives, but how well he uses the time allotted him."
And so we salute and honor the memory
of a man who lived in the confusion of injustice for all his too short,
too long, long enough 39 years- "For He's Free At Last."
By Willa Perrier from A 2nd Helping
of Chicken Soup for the Soul Copyright 1995 by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor
Hansen (TOP)
(Back to Stories Index)
Banking
at Its Best:
When my son was a young teenager, he
and his friend set out on a bus across town to purchase skateboard axles.
They each had $20. When they arrived downtown, they discovered they needed
more money to cover bus fare and sales tax. They were short $3.75.
A branch of our bank was nearby, so
they decided to go in and take out a loan. The teller told them that was
not possible, but that they could get a cash advance on their parents'
credit card. So they called home, but got no answer. They tried the teller
again to see if anything more could be done. She referred them to the desk
of the vice president. When he asked why the bank should give them a loan,
they answered, "Because we're Boy Scouts and good students, and very trustworthy."
He said that since they had no collateral, they would have to write out
and sign an IOU. They did, and he in turn gave them the money they needed
to complete their mission.
We found out later that this wonderful
man lent the boys his own money. (My husband called him the next day asking
for the same terms on a home loan!) In talking with the man, we learned
that he had made many such loans, including a large one to a Navy wife
whose allotment was delayed. He said he's been repaid almost 100 percent
of the time, and that the opportunity to help others in this way was one
of the most rewarding parts of his job.
My son and his friend hopped on the
bus the very next morning. They paid off their loan and received their
IOU signed by the vice president. It was banking at its best.
By Sharon Borjesson from Chicken Soup
for the Soul at Work Copyright 1996 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen,
Maida Rogerson, Martin Rutte & Tim Clauss (TOP)
(Back to Stories Index)
The
Little Red Wagon:
My friend Gayle has been "living" with
cancer for four years and it is progressively getting worse. During a conversation
with another friend, Gayle expressed that one of her childhood wishes was
to have a red Radio Flyer wagon. As a child she never received one because
she believed that if you told your birthday wish it wouldn’t come true.
I was at an ice cream stand one day and in the window was a miniature red
Radio Flyer wagon that could be won in a weekly drawing. Every time you
made a purchase you could fill out a ticket for a chance to win. After
several weeks and many ice cream cones, I didn’t win. I got up the courage
to ask the person in charge if I could buy one. I went to the window and
as I began to tell my story, I could feel my throat tighten and my eyes
overflowed with tears. Somehow I managed to explain my reason for wanting
to purchase the wagon, and after writing a check, I left carrying it. The
wagon was delivered the next day, and for Gayle it was a dream come true.
The following day I received a letter that read:
Dear Bonnie,
Every once in a while there is an opportunity
to pass on a kindness - no questions asked. I lost my parents to cancer
six months apart from each other. I cared for both of them but could not
have done it without the love and generosity of friends - friends who care.
The best to you,
Norma
It was from the owner of the ice cream
stand. Enclosed was my uncashed check.
By Bonita L. Anticola from A 5th Portion
of Chicken Soup for the Soul Copyright 1998 by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor
Hansen (TOP)
(Back to Stories Index)
Lessons
in Baseball:
As an 11-year-old, I was
addicted to baseball. I listened to baseball games on the radio. I watched
them on TV. The books I read were about baseball. I took baseball cards
to church in hopes of trading with other baseball card junkies. My fantasies?
All about baseball.
I played baseball whenever
and wherever I could. I played organized or sandlot. I played catch with
my brother, with my father, with friends. If all else failed, I bounced
a rubber ball off the porch stairs, imagining all kinds of wonderful things
happening to me and my team.
With this attitude, I
entered the 1956 Little League season. I was a shortstop. Not good, not
bad, Just addicted.
Gordon was not addicted.
Nor was he good. He moved into our neighborhood that year and signed up
to play baseball. The kindest way to describe Gordon’s baseball skills
is to say that he didn’t have any. He couldn’t catch. He couldn’t hit.
He couldn’t throw. He couldn’t run.
In fact, Gordon was afraid
of the ball.
I was relieved when the
final selections were made and Gordon was assigned to another team. Everyone
had to play at least half of each game, and I couldn’t see Gordon improving
my team’s chances in any way. Too bad for the other team.
After two weeks of practice,
Gordon dropped out. My friends on his team laughed when they told me how
their coach directed two of the team’s better players to walk Gordon into
the woods and have a chat with him. "Get lost" was the message they delivered,
and "get lost" was the message that was heard.
Gordon got lost.
That scenario violated
my 11-year-old sense of justice, so I did what any indignant shortstop
would do. I tattled. I told my coach the whole story. I shared the episode
in full detail, figuring my coach would complain to the league office and
have Gordon returned to his original team. Justice and my team’s chances
of winning would be served.
I was wrong. My coach
decided that Gordon needed to be on a team that wanted him - one that treated
him with respect, one that gave everyone a fair chance to contribute according
to his own ability.
Gordon joined our team.
I wish I could say Gordon
got the big hit in the big game with two outs in the final inning. It didn’t
happen. I don’t think Gordon even hit a foul ball the entire season. Baseballs
hit in his direction (right field) went over him, by him, through him or
off him.
It wasn’t that Gordon
didn’t get help. The coach gave him extra batting practice and worked with
him on his fielding, all without much improvement.
I’m not sure if Gordon
learned anything from my coach that year. I know I did. I learned to bunt
without tipping off my intention. I learned to tag up on a fly if there
were less than two outs. I learned to make a smoother pivot around second
base on a double play.
I learned a lot from my
coach that summer, but my most important lessons weren’t about baseball.
They were about character and integrity. I learned that everyone has worth,
whether they can hit .300 or .030. I learned that we all have value, whether
we can stop the ball or have to turn and chase it. I learned that doing
what is right, fair and honorable is more important than winning or losing.
It felt good to be on
that team that year. I’m grateful that man was my coach. I was proud to
be his shortstop and his son.
By Chick Moorman from
A 4th Course of Chicken Soup for the Soul Copyright 1997 by Jack Canfield,
Mark Victor Hansen, Hanoch McCarty & Meladee McCarty (TOP)
(Back to Stories Index)
Wouldn't
you like to work for this Company!:
Submitted by Loyce Humphrey 01/23/2000
Can you imagine working
at the following Company? It has a little over 500 employees with the following
statistics:
*29 have been accused of spousal abuse
*7 have been arrested for fraud
*19 have been accused of writing bad checks
*117 have bankrupted at least two businesses
*3 have been arrested for assault
*71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit
*14 have been arrested on drug-related charges
*8 have been arrested for shoplifting
*21 are current defendants in lawsuits
*In 1998 alone, 84 were stopped for drunk driving
Can you guess which organization
this is? Give up?
It's the 535 members of
your United States Congress. The same group that perpetually cranks out
hundreds upon hundreds of new laws designed to keep the rest of us in line.
(TOP) (Back to Stories Index)
Life's
Little Instructions:
Submitted by Jay Berkshire
THE FOLLOWING IS TAKEN
FROM A NEPALESE GOOD LUCK TANTRA. YOU WILL FIND IT TO BE WORTH
READING, AND WORTH SHARING:
This tantra has been sent
to you for good luck.
I N S T R U C T I O N
S F O R L I F E
-------------------------------------------
1. Give people
more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
2. Memorize your
favorite poem.
3. Don't believe
all you hear, spend all you have, or loaf all you want.
4. When you say,
"I love you," mean it.
5. When you say,
"I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.
6. Be engaged at
least six months before you get married.
7. Believe in love
at first sight.
8. Never laugh
at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
9. Love deeply
and passionately. You may get hurt, but it's the only way to live
life completely.
10. In disagreements,
fight fairly. No name calling.
11. Don't judge
people by their relatives, or by the life they were born into.
12. Teach yourself
to speak slowly but think quickly.
13. When someone
asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you
want to know?"
14. Take into account
that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
15. Call your mother.
16. Say "bless
you" when you hear someone sneeze.
17. When you lose,
don't lose the lesson.
18. Follow the
three R's: Respect for self, Respect for others, Responsibility for all
your actions.
19. Don't let a
little dispute injure a great friendship.
20. When you realize
you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
21. Smile when
picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
22. Marry a person
you love to talk to. As you get older,his/her conversational skills
will be even more important.
23. Spend some
time alone.
24. Open your arms
to change, but don't let go of your values.
25. Remember that
silence is sometimes the best answer.
26. Read more books.
Television is no substitute.
27. Live a good,
honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be
able to enjoy it a second time.
28. Trust in God,
but lock your car.
29. A loving atmosphere
in your home is the foundation for your life. Do all you can to create
a tranquil, harmonious home.
30. In disagreements
with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring
up the past.
31. Don't just
listen to what someone is saying. Listen why they are saying it.
32. Share your
knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
33. Be gentle with
the earth.
34. Pray.
There's immeasurable power in it.
35. Never interrupt
when you are being flattered.
36. Mind your own
business.
37. Don't trust
anyone who doesn't close his/her eyes when you kiss.
38. Once a year,
go someplace you've never been before.
39. If you make
a lot of money, put it to use helping others while you are living.
It is wealth's greatest satisfaction.
40. Remember that
not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
41. Learn the rules
so you know how to break them properly.
42. Remember that
the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds
your need for each other.
43. Judge your
success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
44. Live with the
knowledge that your character is your destiny.
45. Approach love
and cooking with reckless abandon. (TOP)
(Back to Stories Index)
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