NEW BERLIN – Readers who find encouragement in the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series will be proud to hear of local writer and inspirationalist Danielle Cattanach, who has been honored to have her influential story, “Dad’s Dance” published in the latest addition to the series, “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Answered Prayers.”
Cattanach, a New Berlin resident, was moved to hear that the story of her father’s passing would be published. Her uplifting thoughts of hope and encouragement have gotten her through tough times, she said, and have given her the ability to seek beauty in even the darkest, most despairing of times.
“To find some sort of beauty, even in death can be hard,” she said.
Cattanach’s story recalls the struggle she went through as her father lay fatally ill in a Tennessee hospital, hundreds of miles from where Cattanach had been living in New Jersey. However, where most prayers ask for healing in such a traumatic situation, Cattanach instead chose to ask for her father’s deliverance from pain. Though her love for her father was unrestrained, she said she understood the circumstances and wanted the agony to disappear, even if it meant finally parting with him forever.
Though he’s no longer with her, the memory of Cattanach’s father shines clearly in the midst of her everyday life.
“No matter how small a miracle may be, it always seems to help,” she said. “My youngest son has so many physical traits he had that there’s a daily reminder of him.”
When hearing that publishers for the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series were accepting stories for their new publication, Cattanach had no hesitation when submitting the uplifting story of memories and the special connection she had with her father.
“There was no racking my brain to think of a story,” she said. “I knew right away what I wanted to share.”
Despite the pride she has in having her story published, Cattanach said that she has not submitted any additional stories or currently pursuing further publication. She is, however, writing poems that she hopes to have translated into childrens’ books. These poems parallel her life’s motto: Finding beauty in unusual places.
Cattanach lives in New Berlin with her husband, Patrick, and is a mother of six – four at home and two stepchildren.
“Everyone has their own path,” said Cattanach, who stressed her desire for people to reevaluate what is truly important.