Dawn Byrne: Chicken Soup for the Soul

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Our four children had become young adults. Our busy life of running to schools, games and practices, church activities and play dates had wound down. Sitting in front of the TV snuggling with Joe had taken the place of frantic evenings. But without the plethora of responsibilities to coordinate, our conversations dwindled.

One evening after Joe and I arrived home from work, with the kids out, I faced my husband in the middle of our living room, and the stillness of our once lively home struck me. I voiced my anxiety that we might be better together as parents than a couple.

“Joe, do you think we’ll get that empty nest syndrome when the kids leave? So many people we know are divorcing. If they can’t keep their marriages going after years of trying, maybe it could happen to us.”

Joe, standing opposite me in our quiet space, said nothing. But his face burned with angry, wounded feelings, and his body language raged. He stomped upstairs. It was his way of saying, “How can you think that after everything we’ve been through together?”

I got it. I never hear God’s physical voice, but I continue to meditate in His presence and believe in our relationship. Joe and I may not speak much about our relationship, but it is vital in an unexplainable way, even beyond our family.

Alone in the room, I realized our home had become a to-do list instead of a “home.” We were a well-oiled machine working singly in the house: I vacuumed, Joe cut the grass; I did laundry and dishes, he did home repairs.

I decided to make a dinner date with Joe. He didn’t question the reason for it, but he didn’t stand me up either. That was the start of enjoying our empty nest status together.

Today, our three daughters have homes of their own. Our son graduated from high school this year, our thirtieth year of marriage. These almost empty-nest parents woke to the fact that we can still enjoy being a part of fun activities. Only now, we are shuttling ourselves to and from forty-plus hockey practice, eating out, sightseeing and volunteering. It is still a full life, far from an empty nest.

Simple Soup Suggestions

I smiled when I saw the book cover of Amy Newmark’s "Chicken Soup for the Soul: Simply Happy." Her bright face sits atop a stack of CSS books, and one of my stories is featured in the third one down. Typically, a CSS book is a compilation of 101 stories from different contributors. I enjoyed getting a peek behind the scenes of this popular series as I read through Amy’s personal stories and her references to others.

The theme of how to live successfully by using easy and immediate tips is as refreshing as the new look of the iconic cover and its revamped CSS person on its spine. Amy’s references in this book to the original CSS published in 1993 (the year my son was born), inspires me to add it to my collection.

My home library includes: "Chicken Soup for the Soul: Dreams & Premonitions," "Chicken Soup for the Soul: Shaping the New You" and "Chicken Soup for the Soul: Touched by an Angel," which have stories by my friends Shelley Szajner, Janice Wilson and Marie Gilbert respectively. I chuckled when reading Amy’s references to these familiar books in "Chicken Soup for the Soul: Simply Happy."

On page 232 Amy tells how she and her staff choose the 101 stories from thousands they receive for each title: "There is an overarching imperative, and that is to introduce you to positive people whose stories illustrate simple ways to have a happier life." CSS has changed her life with its "positive, resourceful, and resilient stories." Mine too. I have enjoyed the Soup for years.

When a Wall Street investment banker (Amy) tells you you don’t have to be perfect, but to work towards excellence, that certainly realigns my vision of reality. How freeing to consider a problem from an alternate perspective; one that flips the problem so it appears, and then becomes, not so troubling. Or, learning to break down an overwhelming situation into smaller bits to handle in an organized way.

Self-help and improvement is most palatable when it is easy, fast, and digestible in portions that we slice up ourselves. Include unexplainable luck and experiences, and this book sparks an appetite for fine living. (Oct.)

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