Chicken Soup for the Soul is always looking for stories — Do you want to earn $200 for writing an essay? Then Chicken Soup for the Soul may be the place for you. Chicken Soup for the Soul is always searching for authentic, personal stories that are no longer than 1200 words. …

Because marriage isn’t for everyone. — Some people are not wired for marriage. They’d be a lot happier single. Yet they don’t listen. They get married and then spend years living in misery. Because not everyone is meant to get married. According to “Changing Attitudes Towards Marriage and Single Life,” by A. Thornton and D. Freedman…

Writer, Songwriter, Producer, and Mom — My name is L.A. Strucke, and not just because I love L.A. They’re my initials. Early Life My life began 2 months before my mother’s due date. I had a 50–50 chance to live. My first home was an incubator. My childhood home was in New Jersey on a cul de sac…

And often they’re wrong — Do you have a person in your life that thinks they know what’s best for you? It could be a parent or a friend or a mere acquaintance, but they can’t stop telling you what to do. A girl had parents like that. She loved to write more than anything…

Crow’s Feet-Writing Prompt #24 Surprises with Aging — One minute, you are performing in a play with your youngest daughter. You are having the time of your life. You are 48 years old and so excited about all the future plays you’ll act in throughout your life. …

Something we should all take seriously — “Parents today are exaggerating. Everyone says their child has allergies nowadays, and it’s no big deal.” said a friend. I was in shock. “You are wrong,” I said. “It is a big deal. A child could end up in the emergency room because of one ingested peanut. It’s no joke.” …

How you can tell them apart from others — I once had a fair-weather friend. We had lots of great times together. We’d go out dancing and to the beach. We’d hit the bars and flirt with guys. And then my sister died. That was the end of my fair-weather friend. She vanished like the wind. I didn’t see…

I will never forget a young woman whose life ended too soon — A young woman isn’t with us anymore. Why? Because careless and inconsiderate people are everywhere. They are the ones rushing to work and causing accidents. They’re drinking and choosing to drive a car. They’re tossing lit cigarettes on the ground and starting fires. It’s not enough that they are ruining…

Life is short, and people don’t live forever — There’s a guy I used to know. His daughter sang with my teen group at church. One time he gifted me two fig trees. And year after year, this thoughtful man sent me Christmas cards full of lottery tickets. I looked forward to his Christmas cards every year. And now…