A Winning Attitude
From Chicken Soup for the Soul: What I Learned from the Cat
By Brianne Schwantes

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.
~Winston Churchill

I was born with a rare bone disease called osteogenesis imperfecta. My parents were told that I would never live to be a day old... then a week old... then a month old. But I was a fighter from day one and even though I have broken hundreds of bones in my lifetime, I never let that break my spirit.

When I was eight, I was going through a really hard time. I was about to go into a very dangerous neck surgery and my whole family was nervous. One day, my mom and I were on our way back from a particularly painful appointment at the hospital and she said, "Brianne, what would make you most happy in the world, anything, just name it." In her mind, I think she was hoping that I was going to ask for an ice cream cone from McDonald's or a pair of new shoes. Instead, at that moment, we passed a sign on the side of the road advertising "free kittens." Noticing my mischievous smile, she knew what my answer was and pulled into the driveway of an old farm house where the kittens were. (Keep reading)