About Amy
Amy B. Chesler is an author, award-winning blogger, & actress from Southern California. She discovered her passion for the literary and film worlds as early as she can remember, and has been voraciously reading, writing, and performing ever since. Amy’s journey has led her to contribute work to many popular publications. Read more…
Chicken Soup for the Soul Round-Up
Over the last eight years I have been privileged to contribute to a lot of wonderful publications, but very few are as respected and world-renown as Chicken Soup for the Soul. My five feel-good stories have appeared in seven different anthologies. And since it seems an appropriate time to share some virtual chicken soup with my followers, I thought I’d offer my first round-up post of ‘Soul Stories,’ as I’ll call them now.
Ten Years of Lessons (in Less Than 500 Words)
It’s been ten years since Mom died. A little over ten years ago, I sat down to write her eulogy, which (as Mom was a long-time teacher) appropriately discussed all the things she taught me in the twenty-two years I was given with her. And as this first...
Why I Gambled the Car Away (And You Should, Too)
It’s a funny thing, being a winner. Even saying it – the act alone leaves me with a heavy pit in my stomach. I spent such a large portion of my life honoring a very opposing schema, and to promote any other image of myself seems...
Expressing Motherhood
Performed on October 7th, 2016 in Silverlake, CA as part of the live stage show, “Expressing Motherhood” As Mitch Albom once wrote, “There’s a story behind everything… But behind all your stories is always your mother’s story,...
Where Does Hatred Come From?
Where does hatred come from? I originally answered this question on my blog almost two years ago, but in honor of the many lives a shooter stole today, I thought I would repost it. This conversation MUST happen. *A quick disclaimer: I am in no way an expert on this...
This House of Love
Let me introduce myself. I’m Amy Beth Chesler: a storyteller and lover of food, laughter, & adventure. I chose to title my blog “This House of Love” because Amy Beth can be loosely translated into that phrase. My mom assembled this name for me...
Jesus Was an Influencer
I keep seeing comments like, “You’re a ________, you should stick to that,” whether it be backlash at comedians, influencers, or entertainers of any type. But to me this makes no sense. Without beating around the proverbial or biblical bush, Jesus was an influencer....
Bus 152: No Longer in Service
as seen as “Prenatal Nocturne” in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Miraculous Messages from Heaven “The tie which links mother and child is of such pure and immaculate strength as to be never violated.”~Washington Irving After my mother’s death in 2007, I dreamt of her...
When Divorce Means Something Different
Not long ago I shared a post entitled When Death Means Something Different, and in it I explain how the loss of my father was vastly different than my mother’s death. He had been a tortured addict for decades, and this was his chance at finding a peace he couldn’t...
10 Posts That Helped Transform My Grief
I’ve written about grief a lot over the last decade or so. And much of that writing has helped me put in to perspective some of life’s biggest moments and emotions. Ones that could have easily swallowed me whole, and if I’m being honest, almost did....
Grocery Shopping a Go-Go
Raise your hand if you have a strong-willed child ????? This is mine. Here he is shopping in our fridge. He’s doing that because his Daddy happened to go on an errand right when the Instacart delivery arrived. He wasn’t able to help me carry the groceries to the...
What in the World Wide Web is a Blogger?
Hi there ?? Chances are you stumbled upon this post because you have at least one social media account and somehow came to follow a “blogger” like me. You might even have a friend who just made the leap, and now you’ve got a lot of questions. To be...
For Those Still Seeking Their Village
I don’t keep it a secret that life can be isolating. I don’t sugar coat it that people need a healthy support system, and that without it, adulthood (and most especially parenthood) is nearly impossible. So, if you feel like you’re struggling,...
Thirteen Movies I Can’t Wait to Share with Our Kids
One of the very best things about having children is sharing with them what brings you joy. It allows you to relive that same experience for the first time, perhaps even in a new way, which can be pretty magical. And if I am being honest, as a lifelong movie...
How Can Love Find a Way?
A few years ago I wrote a piece called “Where Does Hatred Come From?” In it I discuss my mother’s murder and what (I think) compelled my brother to do such a thing. But something else has been on my mind, a question I get quite a lot that usually...
The Sandwich with AmandaMuse
If you want to hear my frank conversation about domestic violence and healing with AmandaMuse, listen...
It Takes a Village (ExMoShow piece #3)
I had the pleasure of being a part of the Expressing Motherhood cast for a third time this past month. Originally, I wasn’t going to share my piece online because as much as I pride myself on my openness, I know some things are too much. However, it was pretty damn...