Chicken Soup for the Girl's Soul

by Jack Canfield

  Kirsten Lee Strough is currently a high school sophomore in a small town in Idaho. She has published several poems and has submitted an array of short stories to various publishers. Writing isn’t her only creative outlet, however. She is also drawn toward the art of music and filmmaking.

  Ariel G. Subrahmanyam is a twelve-year-old Christian girl who is home schooled. She has five sisters and five brothers and loves to baby-sit, read, bicycle, cook and take care of her two birds. Ariel enjoys being part of a big family and wants to someday have lots of children.

  Rita M. Tubbs is a stay-at-home mom and a freelance writer from Michigan. Her first nonfiction book for children will be published in 2005. In her spare time, Rita enjoys taking walks in the great outdoors. Please e-mail her at ritatubbs@hsenet.com.

  Courtney VanDyne is an eighth-grade student living in North Carolina. She is an avid athlete and is a member of the cross-country, basketball, track and soccer teams at her school. She has served as Student Council president for the past two years and is a member of the BETA Club. Her story, “BFF,” was originally an entry in her journal—a way to help her deal with very painful feelings. Courtney dedicates this story to Michelle, not to make her cry, but just to think of it as a little love from her and for Michelle to read when she is looking for a sisterly hug.

  Katy Van Hoy studies elementary education at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She enjoys working with children, cheerleading, gymnastics and painting.

  Natalie Ver Woert, a junior in high school, participates in marching band and varsity softball and plays competitive softball in the summer. Natalie plans to attend a state university and major in journalism.

  Anna Vier is a junior in high school who enjoys music, drama, writing, shopping, coffee with friends and laughing. She is active in multiple high school clubs and her youth group at church, and she enjoys going on mission trips. Her future plans include attending the University of Georgia or Georgia Tech.

  Karen Waldman, Ph.D., loves working as a psychologist. She also enjoys writing, nature, music, acting, dancing, traveling with her husband, Ken, and spending time with her wonderful friends and her children and grandchildren— Lisa, Tom, Lana, Greta and Eric.

  Sandra Wallace and her husband, Charles, live in Kansas, where they have two grown sons and a grandson. Her story “Mourning the Loss, Mending the Heart” is in Chicken Soup for the Romantic Soul. Sandra centers on God, family and music, spending time with her two-year-old grandson, and working part-time for a recreation facility. E-mail her at sandykay1@sbcglobal.net.

  Devoreaux Walton is a sophomore in high school. She enjoys hanging out with friends and shopping. She plans to continue writing.

  Kristen Weil, fifteen, enjoys writing songs, poems and stories. She loves to sing and dance and be with friends.

  Elizabeth White, fifteen, enjoys reading, writing, spending time with friends and family, and attending church. She plans to attend a four-year university and become a journalist or a high school English teacher.

  Dallas Nicole Woodburn is a senior in high school. Her magazine credits include Family Circle, Writer’s Digest, Justine, Listen, Encounter and Writing. She has also been published in So, You Wanna Be a Writer? and Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul.

  Julie Workman is a wife and mom of four children, three of whom are girls. Her story, “Late Bloomer,” holds vivid memories of the trials of girlhood, and she looks forward to walking through those trials with her girls. A freelance writer for Christian magazines, she is a contributor to Chicken Soup for the Sister’s Soul.

  Permissions

  We would like to acknowledge the following publishers and individuals for permission to reprint the following material. (Note: The stories that were penned anonymously, that are in the public domain, or that were written by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Patty Hansen or Irene Dunlap are not included in this listing.)

  Opening poem. Reprinted by permission of Meredith Brown. © 2004 Meredith Brown.

  Introduction. Reprinted by permission of Vivian Ling and Cecilia Zhao. © 2004 Vivian Ling.

  Introduction. Reprinted by permission of Lindsey Appleton and Maureen A. L. Appleton. © 2002 Lindsey Appleton.

  Introduction. Reprinted by permission of Paige Rasmussen and Shani Rasmussen. © 2003 Paige Rasmussen.

  Introduction. Reprinted by permission of Devoreaux Walton, Rodd Walton and Athena Walton. © 2004 Devoreaux Walton.

  Straight Up Girl Stuff chapter opener. Reprinted by permission of Courtney Bullock and Yvette Benton Bullock. © 2004 Courtney Bullock.

  A Perfect Fit. Reprinted by permission of Kathy Lynn Harris. © 2004 Kathy Lynn Harris.

  Not Just for Girls Anymore! Reprinted by permission of Diane Sonntag. © 2004 Diane Sonntag.

  The Bust Developer. Reprinted by permission of Mary Laufer. © 2003 Mary Laufer.

  “One Day You’ll Look Back on This . . .” Reprinted by permission of Laurie Lonsdale. © 2004 Laurie Lonsdale.

  The Day I Gave My Panties Away. Reprinted by permission of Katherine Magee and Leonard Maxwell Magee. © 2002 Katherine Magee.

  Unidentified Floating Object. Reprinted by permission of Sandra Wallace. © 2005 Sandra Wallace.

  Girl to Girl opener. Reprinted by permission of Zainab Mahmood and Manzur Mahmood. © 2004 Zainab Mahmood.

  Girl to Girl opener. Reprinted by permission of Rosephine Fernandes and Michael John Fernandes. © 2004 Rosephine Fernandes.

  Do Girls Belong? Reprinted by permission of Angelica Haggert and Shelley Divnich Haggert. © 2002 Angelica Haggert.

  I’ve Got the Power chapter opener. Reprinted by permission of Kelsey Carone and Melissa Carone. © 2004 Kelsey Carone.

  Big Things. Reprinted by permission of Dallas Nicole Woodburn and Woody Woodburn. © 2002 Dallas Woodburn.

  Call Me. Reprinted by permission of Cynthia M. Hamond. © 1998 Cynthia Hamond.

  The Slam Book. Reprinted by permission of Barbara J. Ragsdale. © 2004 Barbara Ragsdale.

  Compassion for a Bully. Reprinted by permission of Melanie Pastor. © 1989 Melanie Pastor.

  The Most Important Lesson. Reprinted by permission of Hope Rollins. © 2005 Hope Rollins.

  Dreams. Reprinted by permission of Tonya K. Grant. © 1989 Tonya Grant.

  Lost and Found Dream. Reprinted by permission of Kathryn Lay. © 2003 Kathryn Lay.

  A Cheer of Triumph. Reprinted by permission of Kimberly Rogers. © 2004 Kimberly Rogers.

  BFFS chapter opener. Reprinted by permission of Chloe Scott and Elizabeth Scott. © 2004 Chloe Scott.

  Soul Sisters. Reprinted by permission of Kayla K. Kurashige and Krysti Kurashige. © 2003 Kayla Kurashige.

  The Five Flavors. Reprinted by permission of Roxanne Gowharrizi and Mahvash Gowharrizi. © 2003 Roxanne Gowharrizi.

  My Friend. Reprinted by permission of Anna Vier and Chet Vier. © 2002 Anna Vier.

  Forget Him. Reprinted by permission of Sarah Hood. © 2004 Sarah Hood.

  Do You Remember When? Reprinted by permission of Mina Radman and Parto Radman. © 2004 Mina Radman.

  One Is Silver and the Other Is Gold. Reprinted by permission of Karen Waldman. © 2004 Karen Waldman.

  A Friend’s Secret. Reprinted by permission of Bethany Rogers © 2003 Bethany Rogers.

  A Valentine to My Friends. Reprinted by permission of Rachel Punches. © 2001 Rachel Punches.

  Family Matters chapter opener. Reprinted by permission of Ashleigh E. Heiple and Donald J. Heiple. © 2005 Ashleigh Heiple.

  The Day Our Dad Came Home. Reprinted by permission of Pamela D. Hamalainen. © 2003 Pamela D. Hamalainen.

  God on Her Side. Reprinted by permission of Ashleigh Figler-Ehrlich and Toni Lynne Figler-Ehrlich. © 2004 Ashleigh Figler-Ehrlich.

  Miracle Babies. Reprinted by permission of Stephanie Marquez and Paul P. Marquez. © 2003 Stephanie Marquez.

  The Perfect Brother. Reprinted by permission of Kacy Gilbert-Gard and Lyn Gilbert-Gard. © 2004 Kacy Gilbert-Gard.

  One Single Egg.
Reprinted by permission of Cheryl L. Goede. © 2004 Cheryl Goede.

  Raining Memories. Reprinted by permission of Kirsten Lee Strough and Cathy Faye Strough. © 2004 Kirsten Strough.

  Sarah’s Story. Reprinted by permission of Sarah Crunican and Grace Crunican. © 2004 Sarah Crunican.

  Home. Reprinted by permission of Cynthia Charlton. © 2002 Cynthia Charlton.

  Sister Sister chapter opener. Reprinted by permission of Samantha Ott and Lara Sparling-Ott. © 2003 Samantha Ott.

  Ready or Not. Reprinted by permission of Morri Spang. © 2003 Morri Spang.

  Jackie’s Little Sister. Reprinted by permission of Lauren Alyson Schara. © 2003 Lauren Schara.

  Big Sister. Reprinted by permission of Olga Cossi. © 2003 Olga Cossi.

  If Only. Reprinted by permission of Rita M. Tubbs. © 2005 Rita M. Tubbs.

  The Wild Hair. Reprinted by permission of Ariel G. Subrahmanyam and Joy Subrahmanyam. © 2004 Ariel Subrahmanyam.

  The Gift of Faith. Reprinted by permission of Nydja K. Minor and Tracy Minor-Alexander. © 2004 Nydja Minor.

  Best Friend. Reprinted by permission of Bethany Gail Hicks and Gary D. Hicks. © 2004 Bethany Hicks.

  Tough Stuff chapter opener. Reprinted by permission of Katelyn Krieger and Lori Krieger. © 2004 Katelyn Krieger.

  For Michelle. Reprinted by permission of Satya Pennington. © 2002 Satya Pennington.

  The Day My Life Ended. Reprinted by permission of Samantha Luther and Sandra Gayle Luther. © 2004 Samantha Luther.

  Cancer, the Only Word I Can’t Say. Reprinted by permission of Sammi Lupher and Edward Lupher. © 2004 Sammi Lupher.

  It’s Never Your Fault. Reprinted by permission of Hattie Frost. © 2004 Hattie Frost. BFF. Reprinted by permission of Courtney VanDyne and Patrice W. VanDyne. © 2003 Courtney VanDyne.

  Hero. Reprinted by permission of Brittany Shope and Pamela J. Shope. © 2003 Brittany Shope.

  Behind the Bathroom Door. Reprinted by permission of Katy Van Hoy. © 2004 Katy Van Hoy.

  Sleep-Away Camp. Reprinted by permission of Kellyrose Andrews and Tae Andrews. © 2002 Kellyrose Andrews.

  The Pressure’s On chapter opener. Reprinted by permission of Lindsay Oberst. © 2001 Lindsay Oberst.

  So Which Will It Be? Us—or Her? Reprinted by permission of Anne Broyles. © 2003 Anne Broyles.

  Danny’s Courage. Reprinted by permission of Penny S. Harmon. © 2004 Penny Harmon.

  Accomplishment. Reprinted by permission of Jennifer Lynn Clay and Sheryl Stone Clay. © 2002 Jennifer Lynn Clay.

  You Are Never Too Young to Take a Stand. Reprinted by permission of Maudie Conrad. © 2004 Maudie Conrad.

  Trying to Handle It. Reprinted by permission of Marcela Dario Fuentes © 2003 Marcela Dario Fuentes.

  The Party That Lasted a Lifetime. Reprinted by permission of Leigh Hughes. © 2003 Leigh Hughes.

  Story Quote. Reprinted by permission of Malinda Fillingim. © 2002 Malinda Fillingim. Suffocating. Reprinted by permission of Marion Distante and Donald Distante. © 2004 Marion Distante.

  Easy as 1, 2, . . . 3. Reprinted by permission of Emily Malloy. © 2003 Emily Malloy.

  Intimidation. Reprinted by permission of Carrie Joy Carson. © 2004 Carrie Joy Carson.

  Crushin’ Hard chapter opener. Reprinted by permission of Jennifer Lynn Clay. © 2002 Jennifer Clay.

  My Story. Reprinted by permission of Melanie Marks. © 2004 Melanie Marks.

  A “Bite” of All Right. Reprinted by permission of Paula Goldsmith. © 2004 Paula Goldsmith.

  Never Should Have. Reprinted by permission of Kristen Weil and Joni Dee Weil. © 2003 Kristen Weil.

  My First Kiss. Reprinted by permission of Khristine J. Quibilan. © 2000 Khristine Quibilan.

  Secret Crush. Reprinted by permission of Karin A. Lovold. © 2004 Karin Lovold.

  The Truth. Reprinted by permission of Anna Bittner. © 2004 Anna Bittner.

  Learning How to Move On. Reprinted by permission of Elizabeth White. © 2004 Elizabeth White.

  Nineteen. Reprinted by permission of Kathleen Benefiel and Nathalia Benefiel. © 2004 Kathleen Benefiel.

  Late Bloomer. Reprinted by permission of Julie Workman. © 2004 Julie Workman.

  ARB. Reprinted by permission of Alison Gunn. © 2003 Alison Gunn.

  Headgear. Reprinted by permission of Stephanie Dodson. © 2004 Stephanie Dodson.

  Did She Say “Ovary”? Reprinted by permission of Tasha R. Howe. © 2004 Tasha Howe.

  Hair Horror. Reprinted by permission of Michelle Peters. © 2003 Michelle Peters. Strapped for Cash. Reprinted by permission of Robin Sokol. © 2002 Robin Sokol. I Learned the Truth at Thirteen. Reprinted by permission of Carol Ayer. © 2003 Carol Ayer.

  Free to Be Me chapter opener. Reprinted by permission of Elizabeth Kay Kidd and Jan Kidd. © 2004 Elizabeth Kay Kidd.

  The Shy Girl. Reprinted by permission of Laura Andrade. © 2003 Laura Andrade.

  Never Cool Enough. Reprinted by permission of Natalie Ver Woert and Lynn R. Ver Woert. © 2004 Natalie Ver Woert.

  Parting Ways. Reprinted by permission of Christina Shaw. © 2004 Christina Shaw.

  Sweet Lies. Reprinted by permission of Laura Gene Beck. © 2003 Laura Beck.

  Okay to Be Me. Reprinted by permission of Monica Marie Jones. © 2003 Monica Jones.

  Ugly Girl. Reprinted by permission of Morri Spang. © 2003 Morri Spang.

  Afterword. Reprinted by permission of Rachel Punches. © 2001 Rachel Punches.