I wish I could publicly thank the dozens of Amish friends who helped with this project, but for the sake of their requests for anonymity, I have carefully avoided revealing their identities. My Old Order Amish friend “Mary,” who read and approved the final draft, thanked me for “hiding her behind the bush.” I’m also grateful to my family for allowing me to include their personal stories.
My agent, Sandra Bishop, has carefully guided my career with knowledge, tenacity, and prayer. One of the things for which I am most grateful is that she had the wisdom to place me with editors who are not only publishing professionals but who also care passionately about the books they bring to their readers. It was Beth Adams, senior editor at Howard Books, who first saw the potential for a book about Amish parenting. Beth felt so strongly about this project that she helped work on it until a few days before she gave birth. Associate editor Amanda Demastus worked closely with Beth throughout and helped steer the book into the final stages of publication. These women guided me and gave me valuable input as I rewrote, reevaluated, and restructured these stories and principles, always checking for accuracy with Paul Stutzman—who generously shared his knowledge and great love for his people.
Our prayer is that this book will help parents raise children who are not just happy but who grow up to become “people of value.”