Chicken Soup for the Soul Celebrates Mothers: A Collection in Words and Photographs

by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen

Overview

Sharon Wohlmuth captures the essence of motherhood through stunning black-and-white images, creating a mesmerizing book. She brings to life the heartwarming goodness of a very select group of stories through photos of poignant moments that will leave readers moved to both laughter and tears.

A mother's face is a reflection of the world around her. When her children are hurt, she grimaces in pain. When they are happy, her eyes light up with joy. When they are sad, her cheeks glisten with tears. When they need encouragement, she brims with fierce determination to help them succeed. Hers is the first face we see as we enter the world and the one that stays with us long after she is gone.

This celebration of the many faces of motherhood makes the perfect holiday gift and, much as Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul, is destined to become a classic.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781453279588
Publisher:	Chicken Soup for the Soul
Publication date:	10/09/2012
Series:	Chicken Soup for the Soul Series
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	96
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Jack Canfield is cocreator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series, which includes forty New York Times bestsellers, and coauthor of The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. He is a leader in the field of personal transformation and peak performance and is currently CEO of the Canfield Training Group and Founder and Chairman of the Board of The Foundation for Self-Esteem. An internationally renowned corporate trainer and keynote speaker, he lives in Santa Barbara, California.
Jack Canfield is co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series, which includes forty New York Times bestsellers, and coauthor of The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. He is a leader in the field of personal transformation and peak performance and is currently CEO of the Canfield Training Group and Founder and Chairman of the Board of The Foundation for Self-Esteem. An internationally renowned corporate trainer and keynote speaker, he lives in Santa Barbara, California.
 Mark Victor Hansen is a co-founder of Chicken Soup for the Soul.

Hometown:

Santa Barbara, California

Date of Birth:

August 19, 1944

Place of Birth:

Fort Worth, Texas

Education:

B.A. in History, Harvard University, 1966; M.A.T. Program, University of Chicago, 1968; M.Ed., U. of Massachusetts, 1973

Website:

http://www.jackcanfield.com

Read an Excerpt

Hands of Time

Those graceful and elegant fingers braided my hair, made my lunches,
and brushed away my tears. Frightened animals stopped quivering when she laid her hands upon them. Those hands prepared our dinner, set the table, and then scoured away the remnants left behind. They rolled pie crust so delicate it would melt upon the tongue, and scrubbed stains from our clothes with a vengeance.
The iron pump handle wielded to her will, spilling cool water into the bucket that hung from the spout.

Her nails were carefully tended by a monthly soaking in warm soapy water followed by a firm scrubbing with a small brush. An orange stick pushed the cuticles back, and a file shaped their ovals to perfection. Occasionally,
a coat of clear polish completed the ritual.

Fancy scented creams were not an option—only the sensible healing ointments delivered by the Watkins man.

Throughout the years, I observed those beautiful hands as they ministered to the needs of our family. As time passed, her fingers picked up needle and thread, refusing to be idle. Under her touch, perfectly formed stitches matured into a plethora of colorful flowers, birds and full-skirted ladies adorning pillowcases that cradled our heads at night. Her hand-stitched quilts grace the bedrooms of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Their beauty warms the soul as their weight warms the body.

Friends have told friends. From far and near, the requests come for her hand-stitched wonders. Every stitch done by hand, whether creating a small pillow or a bountiful covering for a king-size bed. Each creation is unique,
a one-of-a-kind treasure.

Arthritis has tried to stake a claim, but her fingers defy it,
refusing to give way to defeat. The freckles on the backs of her hands slowly turned into "age" spots, screaming that it was time to slow down.
The once-smooth skin has become thinner, the veins playing peek-a-boo. But still her hands move, continuing to weave beauty with each newborn day.

My hands learned to braid hair, make lunches and brush away tears.
I held my hand out to feel the down of a bird, the sleek fur of a cat, the deep coat of a dog. With patience, I would hold out my hand until they would approach.
Their quivering would stop when I placed my hands upon them.

My hands can set an elegant table for company and scour the burned pans from my culinary attempts. I learned to roll pie crust. I once scrubbed our laundry, before the modern convenience of an automatic washer became available.

Though once I fought to draw water from the pump, today I turn a faucet and it appears, already warm or cold, depending on my choice.

My hands pinned cloth diapers on babies and today peel off the tape to secure a disposable diaper on my grandchildren. My fingers grace the keyboard of a computer, weaving words, as my mother weaved her needle and thread.

Gathering my thoughts, I look upon my hands tonight and behold the spectacle. My mother’s hands have transposed themselves to my own body. The fingers are still graceful, feeling from time to time the twinge of arthritis, but refusing to slow down. A plastic pump bottle of hand lotion sits at my fingertips to be used at my leisure. Still, the "age" spots have appeared, and I see the veins playing peek-a-boo. I’m not sure when it happened, but the metamorphosis is complete.

My only prayer is that the hands that belonged to me have left behind memories that will be recalled with pleasure when my daughters notice their hands have evolved into mine.

Carol Ann Erhardt

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¬2003. All rights reserved. Reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Soul Celebrates Mothers by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and SharonWohlmuth.
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.