This I Believe

DAN GEDIMAN is executive director of This I Believe, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that engages people in writing and sharing essays describing the core values that guide their daily lives. These short statements of belief have been featured on public radio since 2005. Gediman is the coeditor of the New York Times bestseller This I Believe and This I Believe II. JOHN GREGORY is editorial director and MARY JO GEDIMAN is outreach director of This I Believe, Inc.

• Introduction 1The Love I Choose 5Jessica Mercer ZerrThey Built a Family 8Laura J. K. ChamberlainA New Kind of Love 11Rachel WegnerIn My Father’s Tears 14Lawrence KessenichThe Beauty of Aging 17Debi Knight KennedyThe Gift of Being 20Lorraine KellyGray Hairs and Wrinkles 23Fabiola PiñaLove is Stronger Than Death 26Opal Ruth PraterCome to My Table 29Shannon Lee DenneyMy Best Friend 32Raymond AllingerLeave the Light On 35Marianne RogowskiHow We Love Our Enemies 38David WalnWhat We Tried to Do 41Louise V. GrayThe Most Powerful Medicine 44Ross HaysThe Value of Your Life 47Jenna GreerHand-Knit Socks 50Debra BronowDeciding to Love Her 53Amy Simmons FarberLove on Four Feet 56Sarah Culp SearlesA Walk in the Woods Together 59Cindy LollarSam’s Valentine 62Kathy HeffernanTo Dwell in Possibility 65Patricia W. BennettDuck Blind Lessons 69James JohnsonFirst Friend 72Susan SenatorAmazing Grace 75Korinthia KleinLove Lives through Them All 78Tanuj BansalBrotherly Love 81Katie WeinerOld Love 84Jane R. MartinPink Moments 87Connie SpittlerLove Like a Child 90Mary LinebergerA Death He Freely Accepted 93Greg GatjanisThe Blessings of Step 96Janet JayneHere’s to You, Merrie 99Jordyn MaedaGod Knows about Sacrifice 102Lynne ScottLove is a Verb 105Sarah StadlerThe Friend Who Makes Me Complete 108Penny HaginA Magical Impact 111Jeremy GreenPut on Your Heavy Coat 115Ellen GrafGod is in Her Hand 118John Samuel TiemanA Gift of Unique Beauty 121Cynthia ChauhanFour Sisters in Life and Death 124Elynne Chaplik-AleskowMy Family Tree 127Brenda HuffStaying Close 130Ginny TaylorLove on Aisle Three 133David WuescherSwing-Shift Kisses 136Scott SaalmanThe Courage to Let Go 139Gale A. WorkmanAll the Mothering You Do 142Patrice VecchioneLife is a Battle 145Elliana GraceI Believe in You 148Julie ChinitzShow and Tell 151Ann ErikA Tender Lullaby 154Lee ReevesThe Yellow House 157Julie M. SellersA Powerful Act of Love 160Susan HallPennies from Heaven 163Reg StarkWho We Really Are Inside 166Matthew SchmidtCreation is the Creator 169Vicki WatsonThe Power of Friendship 172Nadia Ann HendersonTo Love the Person in Front of Me 175Karla GergenLove from Head to Toe 178Lorena Templeton QuernsMade by Hand 181Mary MrugalskiA Dog’s Life 184Fred FlaxmanAppendix: How to Write Your Own 187This I Believe EssayAcknowledgments 189

In these 60 short essays, men and women of all ages and backgrounds write about love: of a teacher, house, step family, the poor or needy, mountains, and even growing old. While "Love on Aisle Three" is about a small group that gathers round an adorable baby in a cart, several essays explore love not of a person or thing, but an activity like cooking or knitting. In "God Is In Her Hand," John Samuel Tieman writes, "Love is in the hand that crafts, sculpts, sews, caresses, soothes." The most moving pieces examine love tied to a difficult situation. In "The Courage to Let Go," Gale Workman's father, after taking care of her mother for months, finally allows himself to say goodbye. Originally started on Edward R. Murrow's 1950s radio show, this effort to get ordinary citizens to discuss their core values has produced essays that vary greatly in quality and suffer in this form from the absence of a human voice. Still, this anthology beautifully captures our need, and the sacrifices we make, for love. (Dec.) (Publishers Weekly, November 8, 2010)