Second Chances is a hopeful and thoughtful compendium of anecdotes from people who have wanted another chance at something—and have taken it. It’s the big stuff like going back to college after the kids have grown up, as well as the little things like getting a judo belt when you thought you could hardly manage a push-up. The book collects the hopeful examples of people who found a leg up, another spurt of energy, a hidden talent, or even an untapped strength, sometimes with the unexpected help of friends or strangers. Combining the feel-good qualities of One Good Deed and the crowdsourcing methods of Like My Mother Always Said , Erin McHugh’s latest book is an inspirational guide about letting the future win over the past. Based in New York City, Erin McHugh is a former publishing executive and the author of more than 25 books, including Like My Mother Always Said , Like My Father Always Said, Like My Teacher Always Said, and One Good Deed . Second Chances An inspiring collection of do-overs that have made people's lives brighter. By Erin McHugh, David Cashion Abrams Books Copyright © 2017 Erin McHugh All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4197-2413-8 CHAPTER 1 The Dawn of a New Day I believe that I am given a second chance every day. Every morning, I wake up and think that I can do it better today, do it right, whether it's my job or the people I touch, or don't touch — or maybe it's exercise, or what I eat or drink, a kindness, a new interest, or how I relate to my children, or something I learn about myself. Each day is a new beginning. Trite? Maybe. But it works for me. — ELLEN Wild Child Redux Once upon a time in the snowy mountains of the north lived a wild child who loved to ski. One cold and rainy January day, she decided to hit the slopes. She got a little ahead of herself on what would be her only run that day, hit some ice going way too fast, and fell hard, ending up in the trees — lucky to have not actually hit one — with a severely broken leg. She was rushed to the hospital, where she would remain for the next ten days post-emergency surgery. One metal plate and nineteen screws later, she was out of the hospital and on crutches. This state ofbeing would last about a year, which was followed by another surgery to implant yet another plate. Finally, after two years of healing, all the hardware was removed from her leg and the real recovery began. Her doctors cleared her for physical activity, and because she hadn't been very mobile for two years, she felt as though she had been given another chance, and she was itching to get her legs moving again. So she started slow and learned how to walk again, then how to run again. Once her atrophied muscles bulked up and her range of motion returned, she signed her sorry ass up for the New York City Marathon. She dedicated all of her free time to training and was determined to run that damn race, and she did, finishing in four hours and sixteen minutes. It was one of the most special days of her life. The weather couldn't have been better and the crowd couldn't have been more cheerful. Friends and family were there to cheer her on along with perfect strangers. And though she crossed the finish line, she hasn't stopped running. Of course, that wild child is me. — MARTHA I Dreamed of Africa I suffer from chronic wanderlust that has taken me all over the world. My hardworking career as a real estate agent in the Hamptons allowed me the freedom to travel as long as my checkbook was topped up. I always had photos of the next destination posted on my desk at work and hoped that, if I used the phone successfully, the deals would get done and it would be wheels up for me! Time moved so quickly, and all of a sudden I turned forty years old. I was successful and enjoyed my freedom as a single woman who was not tied down to a family. I was perfectly happy moving about my life ... until I wasn't but didn't know it. Selling large second homes to very rich people who had every comfort was no longer a challenge or exciting. It was time for a life change, but I couldn't figure out what change I wanted or needed. So I booked another trip. I had traveled on many horseback-riding safaris, but Africa was my favorite. The frequent chaos and poverty is balanced by the beauty and richness of the tribal cultures, wild animals, and generous people. Determined to find my purpose, I researched volunteer projects all over the world. A project in Namibia run by Elephant Human Relations Aid was flexible enough that we also did work at the local school. It was a government-run boarding school (in rural communities in Africa, most schools are boarding schools since students live too far away to walk to school) that was not well funded and had very scant resources. From the minute I met the students, I knew something in my life was about to change. I am a strong proponent of women in power and as leaders. I felt I needed to help the girls at the A. Gariseb Primar