Table of Contents
Foreword Beverly Beckham xi
Introduction xiii
1 Life Stories
Losing Tyler Lisa Gauches 2
Bargaining with God Kelly Powell 5
Knowing When Meredith Caine 8
The Old Puzzle Emily Newick 12
So Over You Sharlyne Gan 16
I Sat with Nikki Micaela Golding 17
A Little Memorial Jason Jellies 20
Control Gulielma Fager 23
I Knew a Boy Anna Holmquist 27
Our Masterpiece Kerri Morrone 29
Five Minutes Jill Telford 32
What Doesn't Matter Clara Nguyen 34
2 Friendship
Safe for the Night Amanda Hager 36
Torrie, Jay, and Me Emily Carney 39
Leaning on Each Other Rebecca Bodfish 42
P.S. Never Forget Me Stephanie Skaluba 45
Stop! LEGO Thief! Patti Hulett 50
Mirror Image Meghan Heckman 53
I Closed My Eyes Annabel Murphy Schizas 57
Destroying the Bully Ann Virgo 60
Emily, the Soccer Star Suzanne Timmons 63
Friendly Training Lisa Kelly 67
Dear Amy AmyBeth Gardner 71
Obituary Kathleen McCarney 75
3 Facing Challenges
Still Handsome Julie White 78
His Last Smile Lyndsey Costello 81
Out of Love Julia Gudish 84
Saving My Brother Holly Hester 87
I was Twelve Tiffany Mitchell 89
The Best Haircut Ever Jessie Spellman 92
Apple Orchard Natascha Batchelor 95
Exit: My Hero Amanda Caryn O'Loughlin 99
One Tear for Bravery Ashley Johnston 103
Room 103 Courtney Kersten 106
Honey. Sweetie. Darling Jason Sherwood 108
4 Love Stories
It Was Real Stacy Boudreau 110
Nick Teresa Porter 114
My First Kiss Katie Zbydniewski 118
Sweetness Emma Bodnar 121
The Hole in My Heart Olivia King 123
Eye Candy Stephanie Rose Xavier 125
The Master Lion Tamer Jeff Yao 127
The First Dana Rusk 132
School Dance Adam Smith 133
Don Juan, Goldfish Lisa Kelly 136
Empty Love Olivia Godbee 140
Six O'Clock Now Joyce Sun 142
Back to Life George Newton 145
A Turtle-Shaped Box Daniel Bailey 147
5 Personal Hurdles
Weight of the Matter Christina Courtemarche 150
Spilled Coffee Emilee Castillo 152
Where Is Perfect? Allyson Klein 156
The Spigot AmyBeth Gardner 159
Crashing Over the Edge Annie Gaughen 163
A Forced Eruption Amie Barbone Powell 166
I Never Wanted to Hurt Them Lilly Aston 168
Six Minutes and Three Seconds Emily Scavarda 171
Sassy Amy Hochsprung Lawton 175
Empty V. L. Zinger 178
A Beard Steven Jones 181
6 Family Stuff
Car Talk Nicole Docteur 184
A Familiar Stranger Jamie Sarfeh 187
Leaving Dad Kimberly Burton 190
Maybe Tomorrow Kelly Jean Laubenheimer 193
The Greatest Man Andrea Nickerson 196
Fake Bonnie Tamarin 198
Happy with Nothing Clair Saeger 200
Dear Mom and Dad Kimberly Williams 203
The God in My Father Annie Xu 207
Portrait of My Brother Katie Weiss 210
Wedding Pictures Jessica Lin 211
7 Through the Generations
Holding On Kaidi Stroud 216
Her Gift Andrew G. Briggs 218
Gram Susan Landry 221
Christmas Cookies Helen Comber 222
When Grandparents Laugh Mariel Boyarsky 227
My Pepere Angie Forest 230
She Said Katherine Cincotta 232
Visiting Hours Are Over Megan Willman 233
Pancakes and Beethoven Sarah Miles Ryan 236
They Say It's a Hospital Renata Silberblatt 239
8 Fitting In
Bubble Trouble Valerie Gribben 242
The Longest Hallway Kendra Lider-Johnson 245
The Fat Kid David Gelbard 247
Cooking with Fire Moritz Mathias 251
Becoming a Goth Maria Adelmann 254
I'm Not Prejudiced, Am I? Aaron Shield 257
Still Me Inside Mai Goda 261
More Than a Wheelchair Mallory Dzubay 264
Race Matters Marquise Jones 268
9 Monumental Moments
Who Am I? Mary Buehler 272
Life in the Middle Lane Sara Cafarelli 274
The Making of a Man Rob Dangel 277
Titration Scott Molony 282
The Pond Jennifer Phelps 283
Polly Want a Cracker? Dominick Vargas 286
Reflection in the Skies Allison Briggs 289
Princesses Ashley Strickler 292
Raspberries Adam Kirshner 294
The Manual Jacqueline Miraglia 296
Who Is Jack Canfield? 299
Who Is Mark Victor Hansen? 300
Who Are Stephanie and John Meyer? 301
Contributors 302
Permissions 314
