Bonnie Michael lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Her work has won state and national awards and has appeared in twelve anthologies including When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple. She wrote for public radio and has been published in Good Housekeeping and literary magazines.
Jann Mitchell is an American writer living in Stockholm, Sweden. She and her Swedish husband travel widely. She sponsors a preschool and AIDS orphans in East Africa. A frequent Chicken Soup contributor, she is the author of ‘’Home Sweeter Home’’ and ‘’Love Sweeter Love.’ ’Contact Jann at
[email protected].
Susan Clarkson Moorhead is a children’s librarian and writer in Westchester County, New York. She is currently working on writing a mystery series and a children’s book. She loves anything to do with books, words, and writing, and although her family might find it hard to believe—she loves her three kids and husband even more than the printed page! You can e-mail her at
[email protected].
J. Eva Nagel, Ph.D., is the proud mother of four, grandmother of two and wife of one in upstate NewYork. She is a Waldorf teacher and a psychotherapist. She co-founded Side By Side, a Youth Leadership program that uses the arts to teach diversity and leadership. When not growing people she nurtures flowers and vegetables in her ever-expanding garden. She can be reached at
[email protected].
Sally Nalbor earned a B.A. and law degree from Creighton University and an M.F.A. in creative writing from Columbia College, Chicago. Her writing has appeared in a variety of publications, and she received Midwest Writers 2003 Manny Award in nonfiction. She recently completed a collection of short stories, Missing Children.
Betsey Neary attended Drezel University and she is a housewife and mother of two wonderful adult children. Betsey enjoys being with her children, traveling with her husband Tom, quilting and reading. She resides in Omaha, Nebraska. Betsey can be reached at
[email protected].
James A. Nelson holds a B.A. in economics from Eastern Washington University. Divorced with several grandchildren and four children, he has self-published a book entitled The Way IT Was and The Way It IS—Fifty Nostalgic Short Stories. He has been published over sixty times locally, nationally and internationally, including a story in Chicken Soup for the Expectant Mother’s Soul.
Peggy Newland-Goetz was awarded New Hampshire’s Art Council fiction fellowship for 2005. She has published in Chelsea, Mississippi Review, Northern New England Review, and Grit, and her essays have appeared in Breakaway Books anthology Bike Love. Her memoir, The Adventure of Two Lifetimes has been optioned for film. She has recently completed her first novel.
Phyllis Nutkis taught preschool and kindergarten for fifteen years. She now works as a grantwriter for a nonprofit social service agency. She published her first book, a children’s picture book, in 2004. She and her husband have three children and are also the grandparents of two delightful little boys. You may contact her at
[email protected].
Erica Orloff is a novelist who lives in Florida and is the author of Spanish Disco (declared “hilarious” by Cosmopolitan magazine), The Roofer, Diary of a Blues Goddess, bestselling Urban Legend and others. She lives with her family and their menagerie of pets, and she may be reached at her Web site: www.ericaorloff.com.
Jaie Ouens writes plays and short stories and lives in Townsville, Northern Australia. In this tropical city, Jaie also paints pictures and acts in professional theatre. Various of the plays have been created with young people, and Jaie also works frequently on arts and cultural development projects involving women.
Mark Parisi’s “Off the Mark” comic panel has been syndicated since 1987 and is distributed by United Media. Mark’s humor also graces greeting cards, T-shirts, calendars, magazines, newsletters and books. Lynn is his wife/business partner, and their daughter, Jenny, contributes with inspiration (as do three cats).
Victoria Patterson is the mother of two boys, Cole and Ry Patterson, ages six and four, and lives in South Pasadena, California. She is currently at work on her second novel. She earns money as a waitress at a fine dining establishment. She is known to tip well. She lives in South Pasadena, California, with her family: Chris, Cole and Ry Patterson.
Saritha Prabhu is originally from India and has been living in the United States for twelve years. A freelance writer and newspaper columnist, she also enjoys cooking, reading and traveling. She lives in Tennessee with her husband and two sons. E-mail her at
[email protected].
Carol McAdoo Rehme, one of Chicken Soup’s most prolific contributors, recognizes motherhood as her most important calling—it keeps her humble and hopping. She is “Mom” to four plus two sons-in-love. Carol directs a nonprofit, Vintage Voices, Inc., which brings interactive programming to the vulnerable elderly. Contact her at
[email protected]; www.rehme.com.
Carla Riehl is a national speaker and author. Her motivational seminars have been attended by thousands in churches, universities and Fortune 500 classrooms. Carla won an Emmy for singing TV commercials and has recorded four Christian pop albums. She loves to teach creative writing and enjoys helping people put their experiences down on paper. Her stories have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Christian Woman’s Soul, Recovering Soul, Bride’s Soul and others.
Phyllis Edgerly Ring writes on issues of family, culture, health and spirituality from her New Hampshire home. Her articles and essays have appeared in Christian Science Monitor, Hope, Mamm and Yankee. A former nurse, she lived and worked in China, where she taught English to kindergartners. More information about her current book projects is available at www.phyllisring.com.
Dan Rosandich lives in Michigan and has spent twenty-six years as a full-time cartoonist. He operates his online cartoon catalog, www.danscartoons.comand licenses his cartoons for use in presentations, calendars, newsletters, books and Web sites, etc. Dan can be reached any time at
[email protected] or at his Web site to access information.
Reverend Kathi Rose lives in Wisconsin with her husband Steve and daughter Sarah. She speaks at women’s retreats/conferences on the biblical perspective of wholeness and healing. She also authored the book, I Climbed a Mountain: A Mother’s Diary of Tragedy, Grief and Triumph. You can contact Reverend Rose at
[email protected].
Kristy Ross is a teacher at Grace School in Houston, Texas. Her work has appeared in educational magazines, the Houston Chronicle, and other Chicken Soup for the Soul books. Her beautiful mother, Hazel Abernathy Hamm, is a continuing inspiration for living life with dignity, integrity and grace.
Joan Sedita has been an educator for twenty-five years. She currently is a reading consultant and teacher trainer. She lives with her husband and two children in Massachusetts. Her e-mail is
[email protected].
Vikrum Seth and Deeptee Seth became soul mates in 2002 in New Delhi, India. Blessed with their inspirational daughter Chinmya, the real creditor for this short story. Vikrum is successfully managing his hospitality business. Deeptee looks upon grooming Chinmya relatively well, expecting the least from what future has to offer. E-mail at:
[email protected].
Beth Crum Sherrow graduated from Lafayette High School in Lexington, Kentucky, and attended Midway College. After living in Versailles, Kentucky for eighteen years she relocated this year to Ocala, Florida to work for a major thoroughbred horse farm. Beth has three boys, Seth, twenty-four, Jared, eighteen and Gus who is twelve. Beth loves reading, writing, traveling and spending time with her husband, Mike.
Deborah Shouse is a Kansas City-area speaker, editor and writer who believes in celebrating the extraordinary in everyday life. Her latest book is Making Your Message Memorable: Communicating Through Stories (Crisp Publications). Her work has appeared in Reader’s Digest, Newsweek, Family Circle and Ms. Visit Deborah’s Web site at www.thecreativityconnection.com.
Jen Singer is the author of 14 Hours ’Til Bedtime: A Stay-at-Home Mom’s Life in 27 Funny Little Stories, and the creator of www.MommaSaid.net, a Web site for at-home moms.
Alice Steinbach received the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing while working at
the Baltimore Sun. Currently a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow, she has taught journalism at Princeton and Washington & Lee Universities and is the author of two books: Educationg Alice: Adventures of a Curious Woman and Without Reservations.
Joan Sutula has previously been published in Chicken Soup for the Cat & Dog Lover’s Soul. She has poetry appearing in numerous anthologies, including ten Lyrical Iowa Poetry books. She lives with her husband, a cat and a dog. She loves writing, hiking, and her children and grandchildren. Contact her at
[email protected].
Georgette Symonds works as a nurse on Long Island. She coauthored Thoughts On Life from My Desk Chair. Georgette enjoys traveling and spending time with her family and friends. She is currently editing her novel about an Irish family and plans on having it published next year. Contact her at
[email protected].
Mother Teresa gave her life in service to the poorest of poor. Inspired by God, she opened hospices, orphanages and homes for lepers, founding the Missionaries of Charity in the process before her death in 1997. She has received universal acclaim, including the Nobel Peace Prize.
Karen Trevor is a freelance writer and lives with her husband and three children in a suburb of Chicago.
Sophia Valles Bligh received her bachelor of arts in journalism from San Diego State University. She is a freelance writer who enjoy swriting about health and women’s issues. Sophia enjoys yoga, reading, sewing, the beach, and spending time with her family and friends.
Lynda Van Wyk has roots deep in the Northwest soil. Married for twenty-seven years, she and Doug raised their two kids five miles from the land homesteaded by her great grandparents. She writes poetry and family stories and owns Speckled Hen Country Store in Snohomish, Washington.
Karen Waldman, Ph.D., loves working as a psychologist. She also enjoys writing, dancing, music, acting, playing in nature, traveling with her husband Ken, and spending time with their wonderful families, friends, children and grandchildren (Lisa, Tom, Lana, Greta, Alyson, Brian, Eric, Maryann, David and Laura). Her e-mail is:
[email protected].
Luan Warner was born in Logansport, Indiana, on July 28, 1950, to Arnold and Virginia Foust, the oldest of their six children. Her mother was a housewife and her father a carpenter, out of work in the winters and trying to catch up financially the remainder of the year. Luanna received an associate’s degree in photography and worked for an audio-visual production company. In 1983, her lifelong interest in writing became a career in advertising as a copywriter. She is still an active freelance copywriter and a beginning novelist. Luanna has one daughter, Carey, who has become a wife, mother and remarkable woman. Her daughter, her son-in-law, John, and grandchildren, Coltan (14), Sarah (13) and Alex (4 months) live about an hour away, but she makes it a point to see them often.
Nancy West has received numerous awards as a Colorado author. She graduated from the University of Colorado and pursued a career as editor of Where to Live, a magazine devoted to real estate. Her published works include children’s books and stories.
Maggie Wolff Peterson became a freelance writer upon the birth of her son eleven years ago. Previously she was a newspaper reporter and worked as a staff writer for an international health organization.
Permissions
We would like to acknowledge the many publishers and individuals who granted us permission to reprint the cited material. (Note: The stories that are in the public domain or that were written by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Heather McNamara and Marci Shimoff are not included in this listing.)
Saying I Love You. Reprinted by permission of LindaCarol Cherken. ©2004 LindaCarol Cherken.
Behind Blue Eyes. Reprinted by permission of Jennifer Graham. ©2001 Jennifer Graham.
Words to Love By. Reprinted by permission of Ave Maria Press. Excerpted from Words to Love By by Mother Teresa. ©1983 by Ave Maria Press, P.O. Box 428 Notre Dame, IN 46556. Used with the permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.
Princess. Reprinted by permission of Kristy Ross. ©1997 Kristy Ross.
An Impromptu Dance at Dusk. Reprinted by permission of Marian Gormley. ©1995 Marian Gormley.
Billy the Brave (aka Brave Billy Spade). Reprinted by permission of John Thomas Fenn. ©1994 John Thomas Fenn.
Cellular Love. Reprinted by permission of Amy Hirshberg Lederman. ©2004 Amy Hirshberg Lederman.
Mini Massage Therapists. Reprinted by permission of Marian Gormley. ©1995 Marian Gormley.
The Gravy Boat Rescue. Reprinted by permission of Walker Meade. ©2003Walker Meade.
Mom’s Favorite Child. Reprinted by permission of Sue Thomas Hegyvary. ©2000 Sue Thomas Hegyvary.
Letter to Josh. Reprinted by permission of Linda D. Masters. ©1989 Linda D. Masters.
My Mother’s Blue Bowl. Reprinted by permission of Random House Books. Excerpted from Anything We Love Can Be Saved by Alice Walker. ©1997 Alice Walker.
Always Believe in Miracles. Reprinted by permission of Geraldine Edwards McDuffie. ©2001 Geraldine Edwards McDuffie.
Love on Trial. Reprinted by of Rev. Dr. James N.McCutcheon. ©2002. Excerpted from Preaching for the American Century. Written by Rev. Dr. James N.
McCutcheon, Ramz Publishing, Peabody, MA 2002.
My Mother’s Strength. Reprinted by permission of Velma Adams for Patricia Jones. ©2004 Velma Adams and Patricia Jones.
Learning to Say Hello. Reprinted by permission of Kathi Rose. ©1990 Kathi Rose.
Pennies from Heaven. Reprinted by permission of Susan Clarkson Moorhead. ©1998 Susan Clarkson Moorhead.
Shoulder to Shoulder. Reprinted by permission of Carol McAdoo Rehme. ©1999 Carol McAdoo Rehme.
A Misfortune—Not a Tragedy. Reprinted by permission of James A. Nelson. ©1996 James A. Nelson.
My Son, the Street Person. Reprinted by permission of J. Eva Nagel. ©1999 J. Eva Nagel.
Motherhood: A Transformation. Reprinted by permission of Margaret-Mary Jaeger. ©1996 Margaret-Mary Jaeger.
Sibling Rivalry. Reprinted by permission of Deeptee and Vikrum Seth. ©2004 Deeptee and Vikrum Seth.
Loving Her Best. Reprinted by permission of Deborah Shouse. ©2003 Deborah Shouse.
Motherhood 101. Reprinted by permission of Karen Leigh Waldman. ©2003 Karen Leigh Waldman.
What I Want Most for You, My Child. Reprinted by permission of Saritha Prabhu. ©2000 Saritha Prabhu.
And What Do You Do? Reprinted by permission of Jennifer Singer. ©2002 Jennifer Singer.
The Littlest Girl Scout. Reprinted by permission of Erica Orloff. ©2001 Erica Orloff.
Lost and Found. Reprinted by permission of Alice Steinbach. ©1990 Alice Steinbach.
A Long Day at the Track. Reprinted by permission of Mary Kay Blakely. ©1994 Mary Kay Blakely.
Anniversary Celebration. Reprinted by permission of Renee Mayhew. ©2000 Renee Mayhew.
The Kiddie Garden. Reprinted by permission of Jacklyn Lee Lindstrom. ©2004 Jacklyn Lee Lindstrom.
Near Misses and Good-Night Kisses. Reprinted by permission of Sally S. Nalbor. ©1986 Sally S. Nalbor.
Replicas. Reprinted by permission of Melissa Hill. ©1998 Melissa Hill.
Pink and Blue Makes Green. Reprinted by permission of Deborah Lynn Farmer. ©2003 Deborah Lynn Farmer.
Outpouring of Love. Reprinted by permission of Jean Brody. ©2002 Jean Brody.
Love Can Build a Bridge. From Love Can Build a Bridge by Naomi Judd. ©1993 Naomi Judd. Used by permission of Villard Books, a division of Random House, Inc.
Calling Mr. Clean. Reprinted by permission of Karen Driscoll. ©2000 Karen Driscoll.
I Am a Mother. Reprinted by permission of Joan Sedita. ©1995 Joan Sedita.
I’ll Do It. Reprinted by permission of William Holton. ©2002 William Holton.
You’ll Never Be the Same. Reprinted by permission of Kimberly Janine McLarin. ©2000 Kimberly Janine McLarin.
Mother’s Lessons Can Last a Lifetime. Reprinted by permission of Vicki Marsh Kabat. ©1999 Vicki Marsh Kabat.
Enter
taining Angels. Reprinted by permission of Judith M. Lewis. ©2000 Judith M. Lewis.
Trying Times and Dirty Dishes. Reprinted by permission of Cynthia Marie Hamond. ©2002 Cynthia Marie Hamond.
On-the-Job Training. Reprinted by permission of Karen M. Trevor. ©1999 Karen M. Trevor.
Mother’s Magic. Reprinted by permission of Mimi Greenwood Knight. ©2002 Mimi Greenwood Knight.
Gotta Watch the Fish Eat. Reprinted by permission of Cheryl Kirking Kilker. ©1998 Cheryl Kirking Kilker.
Dancing for Fireflies. Reprinted by permission of Sarah Benson. ©2000 Sarah Benson.
Nobody’s Perfect. Reprinted by permission of Mary Kay Blakely. ©1988 Mary Kay Blakely.
A Mother’s Letter to Santa. Reprinted by permission of Deborah Farmer. ©1997 Deborah Farmer.
Momma’s Little Surprise. Reprinted by permission of Susan Krushenick. ©2004 Susan Krushenick.
Look at Me. Reprinted by permission of John du Feu. ©1998 John du Feu.
Mother Love. Reprinted by permission of Carol D. Rehme. ©1988 Carol D. Rehme.
The Last Rebellion—Weddings. Reprinted by permission of Ruth Waldman Lehrer. ©2001 Ruth Waldman Lehrer.
Recipe for Life. Reprinted by permission of Arthur Wilson Bowler. ©2001 Arthur Wilson Bowler.
Bound by Love. Reprinted by permission of Victoria Ann Patterson. ©2000 Victoria Ann Patterson.
Snow at Twilight. Reprinted by permission of Maggie Wolff Peterson. ©1999 Maggie Wolff Peterson.
Picture Day. Reprinted by permission of Carolyn Claypool Armistead. ©2000 Carolyn Claypool Armistead.
Sharing a Bowl of Happiness. Reprinted by permission of Kristy Ross. ©2004 Kristy Ross.
The Good-Night Kiss. Reprinted by permission of Georgette Symonds. ©1999 Georgette Symonds.
Anticipating the Empty Nest. Reprinted by permission of Bonnie Lyn Feuer. ©1994 Bonnie Lyn Feuer.
Teddy Bear Tonic. Reprinted by permission of Bonnie Davidson. ©2001 Bonnie Davidson.
The Day Mama Went on Strike. Reprinted by permission of Nancy West. ©1998 Nancy West.