SELF ESTEEM SAMPLER
By Kay Walburger
Why Women Offer Chicken Soup For What Ails You!

For centuries women have made Chicken Soup to give their ailing children, families, friends and neighbors! And studies show there are amazing health benefits in the soup, however the *Miracle of Chicken Soup* is in the way it not only nourishes the body, but also in how it Nourishes and Nurtures the ‘Spirit’!

During times of physical, mental, and emotional stress, the ‘Spirit’ often languishes and the very act of receiving chicken soup made for you with ‘loving compassion and concern’ carries the ‘Love Energy’ of your beloved in a way that rallies your ‘Spirit’ and speeds your recovery!  So it is with the latest edition of “The Chicken Soup Books” written by women whose own stories are compelling and energizing!

Chicken Soup for the Breast Cancer Survivor Soul
There are eight categories of 82 inspiring and uplifting stories: Love, Support, Challenges, Character, Healing, Courage, Survival, and Gratitude! The women who share their personal stories expect to help others who are meeting Life’s Challenges in the many ways it shows up in each person’s life!
 
Support: Little Man Christopher
By Kathy Vancura
“How do I choose from the many positive things that I experienced as a result of such a frightening disease? I focused on the strength I drew from my family, particularly my three-year-old son, and the result of that focus was ‘Little Man Christopher’. I truly hope my story will help to inspire the young mothers who are going through diagnosis and treatment, and let them know they cannot only survive, but become stronger as a result. They may also be surprised at the level of support their young children are willing and able to provide.”

Courage: My Red Badges of Courage
By Donna St. Jean Conti
“My stories come from profound experiences that I innately know are not mine to keep inside. When one of these encounters takes place, I know God wants me to share it with as many people as possible for the benefit of anyone who will listen. I don’t know if courage isn’t more of a reflection on the woman with whom I had the encounter than on me. My desire is that the story gives courage to those who read or hear about it.”

“Chicken Soup for the Breast Cancer Survivor’s Soul” is now available at Amazon.com and other booksellers. A percentage of sales will go to the national Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Beverly Vote writes about the difficult problem of holding onto a sense of herself as a woman after undergoing a mastectomy and of how her husband’s devotion helped her.
In the face of her beloved sister Meemee’s diagnosis, Barbara Curtis dealt with her fears by cooking and freezing healing foods for Meemee during her treatment (Curtis shares a recipe for Chemo Popsicles to fight nausea).

Jennie Nash details how difficult it was to handle the worry about who would raise her children if she died. The editors touch all bases by including a useful account of a male breast cancer survivor.”

Love: Locks of Love
By Leah Cano
“A devastating illness will focus you on your own life, however I did not know how my illness would prompt Daniel to make his great sacrifice.
I was asked to write about a particularly moving time in my life. The first thing that came to mind was Daniel, who stood out because he was a child, I knew how important his hair was to him, and because he was quiet about the sacrifice he made. Finding out about it so many years later did not lessen the impact it had on me.

Now, I realize that children, also, have a need to give their love and support to us. Sometimes we don’t see this. I am so grateful to be alive today and to be united with other wonderful writers who are sharing their stories in the same book with mine.”

Character: Divine Inspiration
By Mary Anne Breen 
“The internet kept me in touch with my seven siblings. I started updating all of my friends and family with emails to let them know how treatment was going. It had several benefits: It kept my mind focused on spinning things positively so loved ones wouldn’t worry. I focused on using the funny, positive aspects of what I was experiencing, and pretty soon, it did become fun.

My sense of humor definitely helped me through 8 courses of chemo, 33 rounds of radiation, going bald, gaining weight, getting angry, getting cured, and finally… giving gratitude and giving back. Unbeknownst to me, my ‘chemo updates’ were being passed onto family friends, other survivors, and people on prayer teams all over the country.” 

Character: The Upside of Cancer
By Carol Edmonston
“I was determined to search for the gifts and not allow myself to feel as though I had become victimized by this diagnosis.

One day when my medical appointment was delayed I became anxious. As the minutes passed, my mind became very restless, wandering hither and yon, especially into the unknown future. To reduce this nervousness, I asked the nurse for pen and paper and began to doodle. I noticed that this seemingly mindless and frivolous creative outlet had unknowingly brought a sense of calm and tranquility. I knew I had stumbled into something very powerful!

For extra fun I even created one guideline: to begin and end the doodle outline at the same point without lifting the pen off the paper and do so in five seconds (the time for a breath in and breath out). Then, go back and fill it in with whatever sparks your fancy (adding hearts, lines, dots, etc). I was astonished, as a non-artist, to see how seemingly simple it is to doodle.

Doodling allowed my spirit to rest, recover and regroup during this chaotic time. I came a long way — from victim to victor!”

For more information, email Carol Edmonston: carol@SacredDoodles.com , write P.O. Box 5023, Fullerton, CA 92838 or visit: www.SacredDoodles.com 

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