Chicken Soup for the Romantic Soul: Inspirational Stories About Love and Romance

by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Mark Donnelly

Overview

Everyone has their own idea of romance-a candlelight dinner, a stroll on the beach or a sprinkling of rose petals on a bed. Now, Chicken Soup for the Romantic Soul brings brand new inspiration to expressions of romance.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781623610067
Publisher:	Backlist, LLC - a unit of Chicken Soup of the Soul Publishing LLC
Publication date:	10/02/2012
Edition description:	Original
Pages:	400
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

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

Love Notes

I could say that a winter breeze had sent snow flurries dancing against our window pane as we cuddled in front of a glowing fire, sipping spiced cider, alternately nuzzling each other and cooing about the depth of our love.

I could say that - but it would be a lie.

The early November storms had melted, leaving an endless landscape of gray trees and mire green earth. It fit our moods. My husband and I vacillated between extreme joy over the life of our two-months-old son and extreme distress over our lack of sleep or of time for each other. Our conversation of the past two weeks especially sounded less like the cooing of lovebirds and more like the barking of pitbulls.

I had returned to work after only six weeks' leave and on the tail end of postpartum blahs. I felt fat and incompetent. My husband felt guilty and alienated. The few words in passing each morning and the brief hug and peck in the evening were, at best, meager tokens of the attention we desperately needed to give each other.

After one particularly exhausting day, I lay next to our precious infant, dreamily following the down of his cheeks and the satin of his neck and arm to his feathery fingers, when I . . . well, I fell asleep. I slept the dreamless sleep of the fatigued, while my dear husband waited, hopeful that I would rouse to finish the conversation we'd begun two days earlier. I felt his presence, vaguely, in the doorway of our room, but was drawn gently back into my drowsing stupor.

I awoke several hours later to the whimpering hunger of our baby and saw my husband sleeping soundly within an arm's reach. After our son had settled back into blissful contentment, I rose to get a drink of water. I stumbled into the hall and flipped the light switch. There, I found the first note, hanging from the frame of our family montage: "I love you . . . because we are a family."

My breath caught for a moment, then I ventured farther along the hallway, and . . . another note: "I love you because you are kind."

For the next half hour, I wandered through our home, collecting the precious bits of warmth and affection. On the bathroom mirror: "I love you because you are beautiful." On my satchel of essays: "I love you because you are a teacher." On the refrigerator: "I love you because you are yummy." On the TV, on the bookcase, in the cupboards, on the front door: "I love you because you are funny . . . you are smart . . . you are creative.. . . you make me feel as if I can do anything . . . you are the mother of our son." Finally, on our bedroom door: " I love you because you said yes."

It was intoxicating, soothing - an embrace to carry me through the sleepless nights and to draw me back into the joy of my every day. I slipped back into our bed and curled myself around my beautiful husband.

Gwen Romero

©2003. Gwen Romero. All rights reserved. Reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Romantic Soul by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Mark and Chrissy Donnelly and Barbara DeAngelis, Ph.D. 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.

Table of Contents

Introduction xiii

1 Finding True Love

The Right Approach Edmund Phillips 2

Encounter on a Train Kevin H. Siepel 9

"Falling" in Love Mary Mikkelsen 13

Glads on Monday Chris Schroder 14

A Love Story Rob Gilbert as cited in Bits & Pieces 17

Two Coins in a Fountain Joyce Stark 18

Six Red Roses Lori J. Robidoux 22

Real-Life Fairy Tale Norma Grove 27

To Infinity Lisa Ferris Terzich 31

Just Call Me Cupid Will Stanton 34

2 Love And Romance

An Evening at the Waldorf Bud Jean Ince 40

To Begin Again Rusty Fischer 51

Love Notes Gwen Romero 57

I Love You Anyway Joe Harding 59

A Fragment in Time Victoria Robinson 60

Moving In with Frank LaVonne Kincaid 64

The Gift of Life Margo Molthan 65

The Heart and Cement of Texas Barbara Zukowski 69

Three Times the Lover Sherry Huxtable 72

Romance Isn't Always Roses-Sometimes It's Mulch Diane Goldberg 73

True Love Valerie Cann 77

Open Heart Rickey Mallory 81

Message Received Michele Wallace Campanelli 83

3 Romantic Moments

Romance Is in the Eye of the Beholder Tina Runge 88

Handmade Valentines from the Heart Evelyn Wander 91

Norma Shearer's Dress Marion Benasutti 94

Our Honeymoon Flight Cindy J. Braun 98

The Surprise Katherine Gallagher 99

Calling Long Distance Barbara Johnson 103

Keeping the Passion of Love Alive Barbara De Angelis 104

Dating Again Mary J. Davis 107

Ready to Be Entertained Dennis Rach 108

The Camping Trip Meghan Mazour 111

Hello, Young Lovers Philip Harsham 114

Who's Lucky? Rob Gilbert as cited in Bits & Pieces 117

Head to Toe Katherine G. Bond 118

4 Romance And Marriage

Hubby's Special Gift Lisa Bade Goodwin 122

Road to Romantic Ruin Is Paved with Practical Gifts Dave Barry 125

Saturday Nights Mary Lebeau 129

A Fool in Love Mary Roach 133

The One-Sweet-Potato Thanksgiving SuzAnne C. Cole 138

A Penny More Precious Than a Diamond Barbara Bartlett 142

Happy Valentine's Day, Dear. Here's Your Mesh Body Stocking Ernie Witham 144

The Forever Card Susan J. Siersma 148

The Frosty Moment Called for Ice Cream Susan Sarver 150

Hooray for the Ho-Hum Marriage Trish Vradenburg 155

The Anniversary Ken Swarner 158

The Little Things ... Susan M. Miller 162

Who, Me? Andy Skidmore 164

5 Memories Of Love

The Hat I Stole for Love Ed Stivender 168

Will He Kiss Me? Margaret E. Reed 175

About Men/"A Love Affair" John Walters 180

A Friend's Secret Christina M. Abt 184

Beautiful Life-Beautiful Death Bruce Hanna 186

Prince Charming Michele Davis 189

The Two-Dollar Bill April Felts 193

My First Kiss Arthur Sánchez 196

Be Mine Chuck Thompson 199

Angel on the Beach Helen Xenakis 210

6 Lessons In Love

Visions of Art Jeanne Knape 216

A Different Kind of "Trashy Secret" Rusty Fischer 218

Love or Infatuation? Ann Landers 223

Overlook It Tim Hudson 225

The One Who Got Away Margaret Shauers 227

"Giving" ... The Unforgettable Gift Phyllis A. Robeson 230

A Romantic Hammer Catherine Walker 233

Three Kisses Thomas Webber 238

My Dad's Story Chin Pak 240

Goodnight, Sweetheart Karen Lucas 242

The Lovers Daniel James 246

Change of Heart As Cited in The Best of Bits & Pieces 249

Learning to Love Carin Klabbers 250

7 For Better Or For Worse

Sage Advice from the Stepfather of the Bride Ernie Witham 254

The Missing Candelabra Bruce Mclver 257

A Wife's Greatest Gift Marilynn Carlson Webber 264

Mourning the Loss, Mending the Heart Sandy Wallace 266

Slaying My Dragon Jenna Glatzer 270

Women and Fiction As Cited in The Best of Bits & Pieces 274

A Mistake I Will Not Repeat Michael Seale 275

A Message from the Angels Mary Ann Stafford 279

8 The Flame Still Burns

Grandfather's Favorite Betty Tucker 284

The Three Men I Married Pamela F. Dowd 289

Metamorphosis Helen V. Christensen 293

Forever in Their Eyes Nancy B. Gibbs 295

A Joy Forever T. Jensen Lacey 297

Tattooed Dreams Carol MacAllister 300

Oh, to Be Loved Like That! Mary L. TenHaken 305

The Sun Had Come Out Jean Shanley 307

Golf Course Romance Nancy B. Gibbs 312

Lost and Found Ami McKay 316

The Ageless Dance of Love Wendy J. Natkong 319

Fifty Years of Love Nena O'Neill 323

Who Is Jack Canfield? 327

Who Is Mark Victor Hansen? 328

Who Are Mark and Chrissy Donnelly? 329

Who Is Barbara De Angelis, Ph.D.? 330

Contributors 331

Permissions 344

Editorial Reviews

Nourishment for the spirit is served with two new portions: Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen's Chicken Soup for the Grieving Soul: Stories About Life, Death and Overcoming the Loss of a Loved One provides solace and encouragement to those in need. The collected comments on loss and healing, grouped in such sections as "Final Gifts," "The Power of Support," "Coping and Healing" and "Insights and Lessons," offer comfort and hope. Chicken Soup for the Romantic Soul: Inspirational Stories About Love and Romance, by Canfield, Hansen, Mark and Chrissy Donnelly and Barbara De Angelis celebrates love in its many forms. Contributions of anecdotes, cartoons, poems and stories in sections such as "Finding True Love," "Romantic Moments," "Memories of Love" and "The Flame Still Burns" offer insights to the enduring emotion that lights so many lives. Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.

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