This I Believe

Inspiring essays on love shared by men, women, and young people from all walks of life

In the 1950's, Edward R. Murrow's radio program, This I Believe, gave voice to the feelings and treasured beliefs of Americans around the country. Fifty years later, the popular update of the series, which now continues on Bob Edwards Weekend on public radio, explores the beliefs that people hold dear today. This book brings together essays on love from ordinary people far and wide whose sentiments and stories will surprise, inspire, and move you.

• Includes extraordinary essays written by "ordinary" Americans on love in its many manifestations-from romantic love and love of family to love of place and love of animals
• Paints a compelling portrait of the diverse range of beliefs and experiences related to what is perhaps the most powerful and complex of human emotions-love
• Based on the popular This I Believe radio series and thisibelieve.org Web site

By turns funny and profound, yet always engaging, This I Believe: On Love is a perfect gift to give or to keep.

Introduction 1

The Love I Choose 5
Jessica Mercer Zerr

They Built a Family 8
Laura J. K. Chamberlain

A New Kind of Love 11
Rachel Wegner

In My Father’s Tears 14
Lawrence Kessenich

The Beauty of Aging 17
Debi Knight Kennedy

The Gift of Being 20
Lorraine Kelly

Gray Hairs and Wrinkles 23
Fabiola Piña

Love is Stronger Than Death 26
Opal Ruth Prater

Come to My Table 29
Shannon Lee Denney

My Best Friend 32
Raymond Allinger

Leave the Light On 35
Marianne Rogowski

How We Love Our Enemies 38
David Waln

What We Tried to Do 41
Louise V. Gray

The Most Powerful Medicine 44
Ross Hays

The Value of Your Life 47
Jenna Greer

Hand-Knit Socks 50
Debra Bronow

Deciding to Love Her 53
Amy Simmons Farber

Love on Four Feet 56
Sarah Culp Searles

A Walk in the Woods Together 59
Cindy Lollar

Sam’s Valentine 62
Kathy Heffernan

To Dwell in Possibility 65
Patricia W. Bennett

Duck Blind Lessons 69
James Johnson

First Friend 72
Susan Senator

Amazing Grace 75
Korinthia Klein

Love Lives through Them All 78
Tanuj Bansal

Brotherly Love 81
Katie Weiner

Old Love 84
Jane R. Martin

Pink Moments 87
Connie Spittler

Love Like a Child 90
Mary Lineberger

A Death He Freely Accepted 93
Greg Gatjanis

The Blessings of Step 96
Janet Jayne

Here’s to You, Merrie 99
Jordyn Maeda

God Knows about Sacrifice 102
Lynne Scott

Love is a Verb 105
Sarah Stadler

The Friend Who Makes Me Complete 108
Penny Hagin

A Magical Impact 111
Jeremy Green

Put on Your Heavy Coat 115
Ellen Graf

God is in Her Hand 118
John Samuel Tieman

A Gift of Unique Beauty 121
Cynthia Chauhan

Four Sisters in Life and Death 124
Elynne Chaplik-Aleskow

My Family Tree 127
Brenda Huff

Staying Close 130
Ginny Taylor

Love on Aisle Three 133
David Wuescher

Swing-Shift Kisses 136
Scott Saalman

The Courage to Let Go 139
Gale A. Workman

All the Mothering You Do 142
Patrice Vecchione

Life is a Battle 145
Elliana Grace

I Believe in You 148
Julie Chinitz

Show and Tell 151
Ann Erik

A Tender Lullaby 154
Lee Reeves

The Yellow House 157
Julie M. Sellers

A Powerful Act of Love 160
Susan Hall

Pennies from Heaven 163
Reg Stark

Who We Really Are Inside 166
Matthew Schmidt

Creation is the Creator 169
Vicki Watson

The Power of Friendship 172
Nadia Ann Henderson

To Love the Person in Front of Me 175
Karla Gergen

Love from Head to Toe 178
Lorena Templeton Querns

Made by Hand 181
Mary Mrugalski

A Dog’s Life 184
Fred Flaxman

Appendix: How to Write Your Own 187
This I Believe Essay

Acknowledgments 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)

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.

THIS I BELIEVE On Love

In the 1950s, Edward R. Murrow's radio program This I Believe gave voice to the feelings and treasured beliefs of Americans around the country. Fifty years later, the popular update of the series has been heard on public radio since 2005 and continues to explore the beliefs and guiding principles by which Americans live. This book brings together essays on love from people all around the country whose sentiments and stories will surprise, move, and inspire you.

Whether writing about romantic love or love for family and friends, love for pets, or love of nature, places, or humanity, these essayists share deeply personal thoughts on what love means to them, how they express it, and what it has taught them about themselves and others.

Dr. Ross Hays writes about how the families of seriously ill patients show him the power of love to heal. Lorraine Kelly, a lawyer, shares what her visits to jailed clients tell her about the power of love denied. For Shannon Denney, love is in the kitchen, where she connects to her family's past by making her grandmother's coconut pie, while for Debra Bronow, love is spread through gifts of her hand-knit socks. Playwright Louise Gray simply explains why love is like pickled pig feet.

In their intimate and honest stories, the contributors share acts of hope and faith, reflections on grief and loss, and celebrations of acceptance and forgiveness. A testament to the strength and endurance of the bonds that connect us, this collection is a wonderful gift for everyone who believes—or struggles to believe—in love.