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I know it seems early to be talking about Christmas but with the way things are these days I feel like we all need as much holiday cheer as possible! And with Thanksgiving just around the corner, the shift into high gear for Hanukkah and Christmas is not far behind.

The 101 inspiring stories in our new book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Christmas Is in the Air, is sure to kickstart your holiday spirit!

Here is a preview of two of my favorite stories about the joys of the holiday season:

It helps to remind yourself why you’re doing all this work.
In the story "Doing Dishes" Melody Groves surveyed the pile of dirty dishes filling her sink and counters after a holiday event, all left for her to wash by herself. Her busy children and grandchildren had already gone back to their homes. But as she grumbled and worked she started to think about how each glass and plate was used: the football-shaped glass that her eight-year-old grandson loved, the spoon her eleven-month-old grandchild had used for applesauce, the remnants of the chicken her husband had so carefully and proudly cooked just right. Before she knew it, the dishes were done and Melody had reviewed a lot of happy memories. In the course of emptying the sink she had realized how full her life really was.

If you see a need, fill it.
In her story "Around the Tree" Crescent LoMonaco heard that one of her brother’s friends couldn’t afford a Christmas tree, and she was horrified. The newly divorced mother of three was already facing a slim Christmas. Crescent’s first instinct was to get that struggling mom a tree. She followed that impulse and went shopping for the perfect tree, complete with a stand, decorations, lights, and even an extension cord. She and her husband dropped off the tree anonymously in the family’s driveway. Later that day, her brother called to say that his friend had told him she had a Secret Santa who had provided a tree for them. She was so happy and appreciative, and said it really felt like Christmas. Crescent says, “Thinking back, it wasn’t about the tree. What I loved about the tree and what I wanted so much for that family was the family time. The tree was just the backdrop.� And she’s right; whether you’re gathering around the perfect cut tree, artificial tree, or decorated avocado tree, it’s the gathering that matters. The tree is just an excuse for the good stuff.


Amy Newmark

Staring at the calendar I find it hard to believe that Christmas is just days away. I still have so much to do!

This time of year it's easy to get caught up in checking items off our to-do list... we forget to slow down and actually enjoy the holidays.

It reminds me of one of my favorite stories from our new book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Christmas Is in the Air :

In her story, Caroling My Cart Out, Melissa Cutrera was rushing through her errands with her young children in tow, two in the shopping cart and one trying to keep up at her side. As they raced down the aisles, she flung things into the cart and told them not to touch anything. She was stressed and not exactly feeling any holiday joy.

But then her five-year-old daughter started singing Christmas carols, and her seven-year-old chimed in. They were singing loudly, and Melissa was worried about what people would think of this chaotic scene.

It turned out the shoppers around them loved it. They were smiling and singing along. By the time they checked out and were making their way through the parking lot, Melissa was singing, too. She had found her Christmas spirit.

Happy Holidays!


Amy Newmark

As you know from previous blogs, I love this time of year! Sharing the love and wonder of the holidays with family and friends is what Christmas is all about for me.

It's also a great time for our Chicken Soup for the Soul team... they started choosing stories for this year's Christmas book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Time for Christmas in early summer, and are especially thrilled that it's finally time for Christmas!

We can't wait to share these heartwarming and inspirational Christmas stories. They'll leave you glowing in the Christmas spirit!

Here's a sneak peek of one of our favorite stories... spoiler alert, there is a Christmas miracle!

In her story, "Gramma's Gift," Jamie Cahill talks about her grandmother, who loved Christmas and shared many traditions with her grandchildren and then her great-grandchildren, Jamie’s three kids. The kids would snuggle in their great-grandmother’s lap as she read them the same Christmas stories she had read to Jamie.

Then, Jamie’s grandmother had a stroke at age ninety-seven. Jamie and her oldest child drove from Connecticut to Pennsylvania to see her and say their goodbyes. During the drive they talked about life and death, and Jamie shared some of the Chicken Soup for the Soul stories that she’d read from people who believe that our spirits carry on and are still present after death.

Although Gramma couldn’t speak, Jamie’s daughter Lucie talked to her and said, “Send us a sign when you’re gone, Gramma, a sign that you’re with us.�
Jamie says, “Months went by, and one day Lucie asked me if I’d seen any signs from Gramma. No, I hadn’t seen any signs. I wondered if I should have told her those angel stories and created those expectations. Now she was waiting for a sign, in the literal way that a teenager would.�

Ten months after Gramma died, the next Christmas season arrived. It felt different without Gramma there. But Jamie still had a good time and on Christmas Eve, she hosted 30 people for dinner. Christmas morning, she was exhausted. After all the gifts were unwrapped, her husband took the kids to his parents nearby to see their cousins and open more gifts. Jamie took a quiet walk and thought about her missing grandmother, and then brought in the mail from the day before.

The top piece of mail on a big stack of cards was an envelope addressed in her grandmother’s distinctive script. Jamie ripped open the card. She says, “It was Gramma’s hand-painted Christmas card, a lovely watercolor she did every year:

Dearest Jamie, Tom, Lucie, Emmett and Clara,
To all 5 of you�
What a precious family! It will be so nice to see you on Christmas. Save a few hugs for me.
Love you,
Gramma

It was her grandmother’s Christmas card from the prior year that had never gotten to them. It had a postmark from a year earlier but Jamie’s grandmother had made a slight mistake in the address. Somehow, it arrived on Christmas Eve a year later, ten months after Gramma’s death, right when Jamie and her family really needed a little Christmas miracle—a holiday hello from Gramma!


Warm wishes for a happy holiday season!


Amy Newmark