This latest collection of stories celebrates the shared experiences of being a woman in a 101 new ways. You will be moved by these true accounts of how women like you have embraced life's defining moments by finding love, dealing with loss, overcoming obstacles and achieving their dreams and goals. Like spending time with a trusted friend, A Second Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul will put difficult times into perspective, renew your faith in yourself and make you aware of the miracles in your own life.
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The Christmas Star
This was my grandmother's first Christmas without Grandfather, and we had promised him before he passed away that we would make this her best Christmas ever. When my mom, dad, three sisters and I arrived at her little house in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, we found she had waited up all night for us to arrive from Texas. After we exchanged hugs, Donna, Karen, Kristi and I ran into the house. It did seem a little empty without Grandfather, and we knew it was up to us to make this Christmas special for her.
Grandfather had always said that the Christmas tree was the most important decoration of all. So we immediately set to work assembling the beautiful artificial tree that was stored in Grandfather's closet. Although artificial, it was the most geniuine-looking Douglas fir I had ever seen. Tucked away in the closet with the tree was a spectacular array of ornaments, many of which had been my father's when he was a little boy. As we unwrapped each one, Grandmother had a story to go along with it. My mother strung the tree with bright white lights and a red button garland; my sisters and I carefully placed the ornaments on the tree; and finally, Father was given the honor of lighting the tree.
We stepped back to admire our handiwork. To us, it looked magnificent, as beautiful as the tree in Rockefeller Center. But something was missing.
"Where's your star?" I asked.
The star was my grandmother's favorite part of the tree.
"Why, it must be here somewhere," she said, starting to sort through the boxes again. "Your grandfather always packed everything so carefully when he took the tree down."
As we emptied box after box and found no star, my grandmother's eyes filled with tears. This was no ordinary ornament, but an elaborate golden star covered with colored jewels and blue lights that blinked on and off. Moreover, Grandfather had given it to Grandmother some fifty years ago, on their first Christmas together. Now, on her first Chirstmas without him, the star was gone too.
"Don't worry, Grandmother." I reassured her. "We'll find it for you."
My sistems and I formed a search party.
"Let's start in the closed where the ornaments were," Donna said. "Maybe the box just fell down."
That sounded logical, so we climbed on a chair and began to search that tall closet of Grandfather's. We found Father's old yearbooks and photographs of relatives, Christmas cards from years gone by, and party dresses and jewelry boxes, but no star.
We searched under beds and over shelves, inside and outside, until we had exhausted every possibility. We could see Grandmother was disappointed, although she tried not to show it.
"We could buy a new star," Kristi offered.
"I'll make you one from construction paper." Karen chimed in.
"No," Grandmother said. "This year, we won't have a star."
By now it was dark outside, and time for bed, as Santa would soon be here. We lay in bed, snowflakes falling quietly outside.
The next morning, my sisters and I woke up early, as was our habit on Christmas day -- first, to see what Santa had left under the tree, and second, to look for the Christmas star in the sky. After a traditional breakfast of apple pancakes, the family sat down together to open presents. Santa had brought me the Eask-Bake Oven I wanted, and Donna a Chatty-Cathy doll. Karen was thrilled to get the doll buggy she had asked for, and Kristi to get the china tea set. Father was in charge of passing out the presents, so that everyone would have something to open at the same time.
"The last gift is to Grandmother from Grandfather," he said, in a puzzled voice.
"From who?" There was surprise in my grandmother's voice.
"I found that gift in Grandfather's closet when we got the tree down," Mother explained. "It was already wrapped so I put it under the tree. I thought it was one of yours."
"Hurry and open in," Karen urged excitedly.
My grandmother shakily opened the box. Her face lit up with joy when she unfolded the tissue paper and pulled out a glorious golden star. There was a note attached. Her voice trembled as she read it aloud:
Don't be angry with me, dear. I broke your star while putting away the decorations, and I couldn't bear to tell you. Thought it was time for a new one. I hope it brings you as much joy as the first one. Merry Christmas.
Love,
Bryant
So Grandmother's tree had a star after all, a star that expressed my grandparents' everlasting love for one another. It brought by grandfather home for Christmas in each of our hearts and made it our best Christmas ever.
Susan Adair
¬1998 Susan Adair. All rights reserved. Reprinted from A Second Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne, and Marci Shimoff. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the written permission of the publisher. Publisher: Health Communications, Inc., 3201 SW 15th Street, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442.
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 Jack CanfieldJack Canfield is a best-selling author and one of America's leading experts in the development of human potential. He is both a dynamic and entertaining speaker and a highly sought-after trainer with a wonderful ability to inform and inspire audiences to pen their hearts, love more openly and pursue their dreams. He is the author and narrator of several best-selling audio- and video cassette programs, including Self Esteem and Peak Performance, How to Build High Self-Esteem, Self-Esteem in the Classroom and Chicken Soup for the Soul – Live. He is regularly seen on television shows such as Good Morning America, 20/20 and NBC Nightly News. Jack has co-authored numerous books, including the Chicken Soup for the Soul Series, Dare to Win and The Aladdin Factor (all with Mark Victor Hansen), 100 Ways to Build Self-Concept in the Classroom (with Harold C. Wells) and Heart At Work (with Jacqueline Miller). Jack is a regularly featured speaker for professional associations, school districts, government agencies, churches, hospitals, sales organizations and corporations. Jack conducts an annual eight-day Training of Trainers program in the areas of self esteem and peak performance. It attracts educators, counselors, parenting trainers, corporate trainers, professional speakers, ministers and other interested in developing their speaking and seminar-leading skills. Visit the Chicken Soup for the Soul website, at www.chickensoup.com. [ More]
 Mark Victor HansenMark Victor Hansen is a professional speakers who, in the last twenty years, had made over four-thousand presentations to more than 2 million people in 32 countries. His presentations cover sales excellence and strategies; personal empowerment and development; and how to triple your income and double your time off.
Mark has spent a lifetime dedicated to his mission of making a profound and positive difference in people's lives. Throughout his career, he has inspired hundreds of thousands of people to create a more powerful and purposeful future for themselves while stimulating the sale of billions of dollars worth of goods and services.
Marc is a prolific writer and has authored Future Diary, How to Achieve Total Prosperity and The Miracle of Tithing. He is co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul Series, Dare to Win and The Aladdin Factor (all with Jack Canfield), and The Master Motivator (with Joe Batten).
Mark has also produced a complete library of personal empowerment audio- and videocassette programs that have enabled his listeners to recognize and use their innate abilities in their business and personal lives. His message has made him a popular television and radio personality, with appearances on ABC, CBS, HBO, PBS, and CNN. He has also appeared on the cover of numerous magazines, including Success, Entrepreneur and Changes.
Mark is a big man with a heart and spirit to match — an inspiration to all who seek to better themselves.
Visit the Chicken Soup for the Soul website, at www.chickensoup.com. [ More]
 Jennifer Read HawthorneJennifer Read Hawthorne is coauthor of four New York Times bestsellers: Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul, Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul, Chicken Soup for the Single's Soul and A 2nd Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul. She is an inspirational speaker who lives in Fairfield, IN. [ More]
 Marci ShimoffMarci Shimoff is co-author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul and Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul. She is also a professional speaker and trainer who, for the last 17 years, has inspired thousands of people with her message of personal and professional growth. She gives seminars and keynote addresses on self-esteem, stress management, communication skill and peak performance. Since 1994, she has specialized in delivering Chicken Soup for the Soul keynote addresses to audiences around the world.
Marci is cofounder and president of The Esteem Group, a company that offers self-esteem and inspirational programs for women. As a top-rated speaker for Fortune 500 companies, Marci's clients have included AT&T, General Motors, Sears, Amoco, American Airlines, and Bristol-Myers Squibb. She has also be a featured speaker for numerous professional organizations, universities and women's associations, where she is known for her lively humor and her dynamic delivery.
marci combines her energetic style with a strong knowledge base. She earned her MBA from UCLA; she also studied for one year in the U.S. and Europe to earn an advanced certificate as a stress-management consultant. Since 1989, Marci has studied self-esteem with Jack Canfield, and has assisted in his annual Training of Trainers program for professionals.
In 1983, Marci co-authored a highly acclaimed study of the fifty top business women in America. Since that time, she has specialized in addressing women's audiences, focusing on helping women discover the extraordinary within themselves.
Of all the projects Marci has worked on in her career, none have been as fulfilling as creating Chicken Soup for the Soup books. Currently at work on future editions of Chicken Soup for the Soul, she is thrilled at the opportunity to help touch the hearts and rekindle the spirits of millions of people throughout the world.
Visit her website at More]
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Inventory:
Available usually ships within 24–48 hours
ISBN-10:
1558746226
ISBN-13:
9781558746220
HCI-Item:
6226
Book Format:
Paperback
Page Count:
328
Publication Date:
10/1/1998
Category:
Self-Help/Inspiration/Audio
Series:
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