Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul II (50 page)

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Authors: Jack Canfield,Mark Victor Hansen,Kimberly Kirberger

BOOK: Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul II
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You'll tell them not to quit themselves, 
To have faith, though it's hard to bear. 
So they will know it can be done 
They, too, can get from here to there
.
Jennings Michael Burch

 

Page 296
Teenagers Today
I can't count how many times people have uttered, while shaking their heads in obvious disappointment, "I just don't know what is with teenagers today."
The other day I was in my car on my way to the farmers market with my friend Jan when we passed two teens standing by the side of the road with a car wash sign. My car was filthy and my heart was full, so I pulled over. There were teenagers everywhere. There was a group directing the cars and another group spraying them down. As sponges were wiped over every square inch of my dirty car, I sat enjoying the little water battles and the many silent scenarios that were so obviously taking place. I couldn't help but wonder how many crushes, how many new friendships and how many little insecurities were in the air on this beautiful Saturday afternoon. I was amazed at how forty to fifty teenagers had devoted their Saturday to washing cars, and I was curious what their motivation might be.
At the end of the assembly line I handed them a twenty-dollar bill and asked what they were raising money for. They explained to me that a friend of theirs,

 

Page 297
C. T. Schmitz, had recently died of cancer. He was only fifteen years old and six-feet-two. He had gone to school with a lot of the teenagers who were there that day and each of them had memories of a boy sweeter than any they had known. His friend Kevin had decided to put this car wash together because he wanted to honor his friend and also bring together his classmates with his boy scout troop. He told me that they wanted to plant a tree in front of their school and if they raised enough money they would put a plaque there also. Both would be in memory of their friend C. T.
They handed me a bag of homemade cookies with my receipt and we drove away. I asked Jan to read to me what the tag that was tied to the bag said. It said simply, "Thanks for helping us plant a tree for C. T."
Yeah! I don't know what
is
with teenagers today!
Kimberly Kirberger

 

Page 298
An Open Heart
We had to take a malaria pill every week for eight weeks and get a shot of gamma globulin. We were told to bring old clothes, flashlights, bug repellent and an open heart.
I think the last item was the most important: an open heart. That is what those kids really needed.
Honduras is a small country in Central America. The majority of the population is dirt poor, hungry, homeless, parentless and in need. This is where I, along with eighteen of my peers, had committed to spending two weeks of our summer vacation.
I am sixteen years old. This trip was not the vacation trip most teens dream of. It was sponsored by Mrs. Patricia King, whose two sons were adopted into her family from this third-world country. Through her love we were able to help those in need.
We spent our time at an orphanage with children who won our hearts the very moment we met them. How could you not adore a child who wants only a multicolored pen for his fourteenth birthday? For two weeks we shared our souls with these children. We lived in their world, relying only on bare necessities. The heat was

 

Page 299
often unbearable and the smell of raw sewage was constant. Dirt clung to everything and we had to close our eyes and hold our breath to shower in the contaminated water. It was our job to repaint the boys' room and the hard iron bunk beds. We washed and braided the girls' hair and painted their nails. We exchanged hugs, high fives, kisses and eventually good-byes. We came home differentbetter.
We learned that the best of all blessings is to be able to give to others. I feel lucky that I'm sixteen and I know that we can make a difference. That's not just something that celebrities say on TV. Every day I am grateful that I learned an open heart is a happy heart.
Sandy Pathe

 

Page 301
8
GROWING UP
My mother always used to say: "The older you get, the better you get . . .  unless you're a banana.
Rose Nylund

 

Page 302
Wonder, to Me
One morning, I woke up later than usual. The night before had been difficult. My eldest daughter, Carla, and I had exchanged harsh words. At sixteen years old, she was challenging my parenting skills. I'm sure that I must have scolded her about the type of friends she was hanging around with, her choice of social activities, even the clothes she wore.
When I walked into the kitchen, I saw an unfamiliar piece of paper on the kitchen table. Carla had already left for school. I thought maybe this was some homework that she forgot. Instead, it was a poem she had written:
Wonder, to me, 
Is the worst place to be. 
Situations get complex, 
You're afraid of what's next. 
Starting out fresh and brand-new, 
Stepping in another shoe. 
Wondering how you'll turn out, 
Having all sorts of doubt. 
Turning over a new leaf, 
Sometimes wanting to leave . . .  sometimes do!

 

Page 303
As I read her words, my heart ached for the pain she was feeling. I recalled my own youth and teenage struggles. Now I felt that I had let her down somehow. A single mom, raising five children on my own and working two jobs, I was dealing with my own set of problems. But she needed me! How could I reach her?
Suddenly, all my own selfish worries left me. I grabbed a piece of paper and penned a reply that I hoped would bring her some comfort.
That afternoon while I was at work, she came home and found the poem that I had left. That evening there were hugs and maybe a few tears. It seemed that perhaps I had made some progress in narrowing the generation gap.
Days and months passed. We still had the typical mother-daughter disagreements, but with a special bond of respect and understanding for each other. It wasn't until a year later that I realized the full impact of our special relationship.
It was Carla's graduation. I was sitting in the bleachers, so very proud to see my own daughter's name on the program for the class speaker. As she approached the podium, I felt a sense of accomplishment in knowing that, through it all, I must have done something right to have such a vivacious, beautiful daughter who was providing her classmates with advice for their future.
She talked about leaving the security of school and venturing out on your own. Then I heard her share the story of her own struggles, doubts and fears. She was telling the entire audience about that difficult day when she left the poem on the kitchen table. And then, the words of advice to her classmates ended with the reply that I had given her so many months ago.

 

Page 304
Dearest Carla,
 
Wonder, to me, is a good place to be. 
It helps you to think, it helps you to see. 
Life's full of twists and turns will abound, 
But wonder and insight can guide you around. 
Explore what you may and fill up your mind, 
And hold in your heart the mysteries you find. 
Wonder is only saying you yearn 
To know and select the things that you learn, 
And making a choice in which way you turn. 
The best path you take will always be right, 
'Cause if you were wrong, you CAN make it right. 
Each new step you take when you listen and hear 
Will give you more courage and freedom from fear. 
So wonder my child, rid of your doubt, 
And you will rejoice with how you turn out. 
And though you may fall and struggle, too, 
Know that I've been there, and will always love you
.
I sat there, stunned. The entire auditorium was silent, listening to her message. My eyes welled with tears; everything was a blur. When I finally blinked, I saw the entire roomful of people on their feet, cheering and applauding. Then she ended her speech with her own inspired summary of ''You can turn YOUR wonder into wonderful!"
Jill Thieme

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