By Emma Bowen Meyer
For The Herald Bulletin
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As the nation spends this weekend remembering all the wonderful things that moms do each and every day, the publishers of the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” book series are lending a helping hand — with help from an Anderson freelance writer whose story appears in the new edition, “Thanks Mom.”
Janine Pickett wrote her story a few years after her mother’s death from cancer in 2001.
Writing brings her peace of mind, and she crafted the story for her own comfort. Three years later, she heard that the publishers of the popular compilation series were seeking stories like hers.
“I had forgotten that I sent it in to them until they called in January,” she said. “I was thrilled. I’m really humbled to be chosen among those great writers. I’m honored to be part of the book.”
Her story nostalgically reveals a bonding experience she shared with her mother and then replicated with her daughter, Brittny.
This tender story tugs on the heartstrings and prompts a walk down memory lane for the reader.
Not the first work of Pickett’s to be published, her writings have appeared in Country Woman magazine, Thema Literary Magazine and Poetry Press. Another literary fiction story, called “Lenny’s Gold,” is due to be printed in “Thema~Math & Music” in October.
Also collaborating with Rhonda Estes of the Madison County Humane Society, she is working on her first book, “Sleeping With the Dogs — One Woman’s Quest to Save the Animals.” This work, along with her blog, is based on the journals from Estes’ recent lock-in to raise money for the Humane Society.
Despite years of writing and success at becoming published, Pickett didn’t get her hopes up when submitting her story to the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” editors.
“I really didn’t have high expectations,” she said. “I have heard that they are very hard to get into, but it didn’t hurt to send it in. Writing has just been a thread through my whole life — it’s just a part of me.”
Although Pickett received a degree in journalism and short story writing from ICS School of Journalism in 1986, she points to her Highland High School English teacher as the most influential person in her career.
“My high school English teacher was a great influence on me,” she said. “She was such a great teacher and encourager.”
Not only is Pickett celebrating her inclusion in the popular book series this Mother’s Day, but she also has something more personal to celebrate — she is expecting her first grandchild in August.
“I cannot wait,” she said. “It’s the best news ever. I think that being a mom is the best job in the world, and now I’m going to be a grandma, too. I’m so proud of my kids and my daughter is my best friend.”
She has a special gift idea for anyone still seeking the perfect Mother’s Day present: a copy of “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Thanks Mom — 101 Stories of Gratitude, Love and Good Times.”
