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Discover weekly, the best short stories

Looking for a steady supply of inspirational short stories? Every week thousands of writers submit stories to our writing contest.

6100+ Inspirational Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. From tales of the miraculous to stories of extraordinary people overcoming incredible odds, you’ll always find something uplifting in our collection of inspirational short stories.

Inspirational Short Stories – Page 288 of 407

For Laura

Submitted to Contest #94

My wife dared me to perform the following task/project. I do not usually take on these challenges so easily, but I would like to write for a living someday and I saw it as a way to “break-in” with the Reedsy crowd. The day was almost over, and the glorious weekend was beginning. It is finally spring, and my wife and I were discussing what we wanted to do for dinner, since we could finally go outside, without masks, and enjoy the weather. Since this beautiful day, was ending with a perfect evening, my wife and I decided we would go to a class...

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The ugly duckling of history

Submitted to Contest #93

We will have a cousin reunion! Victoria said, my cousin and godmother who lived for many years in Spain and now, after her second divorce and being a grandmother, she had returned to live in Argentina. She had always been the organizer (and a bit bossy) in everything and with everyone. I hardly knew her because she left when I was just my first year, but she always wrote us letters or sent the odd gift. This meeting, from the beginning was not very welcome since some of the cousins ​​had to mobilize from another province for the meeting a...

6 likes 0 comments 0
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WHY DO PEOPLE FAIL IN LIFE AND OTHER SUCCEED?

Submitted to Contest #94

14/05/2021 WHY DO PEOPLE FAIL IN LIFE AND OTHER SUCCEED? By; Laurent Christopher Bilihanyuma_Author_Tanzania. “Every human being on this planet wants to be successful .” Every day successful entrepreneurs and self-motivation gurus share all their experiences about how they obtained name and fame. There are innumerable self-help guides that tell us how to achieve our goals. With all these quick and easy access to a plethora of information and knowledge, why people still find it difficult to be successful? Why most of the people who want to ...

14 likes 0 comments 0
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Always Remember My Words

Submitted to Contest #93

It is my first time going to the "Mazatlán Carnaval" without Mami,Papi and Lito.Without them the well known beats of Banda Music I had danced to every year sounded so very unfamiliar. The colorful, familiar,packed streets brought lovely , beautiful, sweet memories which felt absolutely sour and bitter right now. I kept on telling Papi and Lito that I will not leave Mami's side ,but Mami insisted that her dear Papito should go to the Carnival. I could never in my wildest dreams say no to Mami. On the very last day of the Carnival I told Lito ...

11 likes 5 comments 5
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LALA'S LADDOO

Submitted to Contest #93

The invitation card that I received lay before my eyes. My eyes got stationed at RSVP. On 21st January, my friend was to organize a big party to celebrate the achievement of his son, who won a foreign scholarship. The date of the event was approaching fast. There was a big question mark. Should I or should I not send my confirmation. There was no reason to give a false excuse and decline this particular invitation because Ram was one of my closest friends in town.  I knew having declined several invitations in recent times because ...

9 likes 3 comments 3
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Birthday Blast

Submitted to Contest #93

"Pass me that balloon, Bell", Cora called out while balancing on a stool near the big wall. Bella, holding the ribbons and texting at the same time, sauntered into the room with the balloons but crashed into Amelia who was trying to decorate the hall with dazzling lights. The commotion imbalanced Cora and she toppled down into the middle of the room, beside her sisters. "What all the noise?” their mother shouted, "I thought you were setting up the party, not destroying the house". "Just a tiny error mom", Bella answered while trying to get u...

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Anders: A Parable

Submitted to Contest #94

ANDERS: A PARABLE Anders would always remember—not the wedding—but the priceless gift he received from the bride’s father. Hannah was a striking woman, tall but softly rounded about the edges, with huge grey eyes that could look into Anders’ soul. For years those expressive eyes had haunted him while he courted, teased, and even begged Hannah to be his. To his relief, gratification, sense of wholeness she had said yes, promising to love and cherish him forever. Anders was not a little jealous of his bride’s love and expressed his anxiety to...

21 likes 0 comments 0
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The Other Side of the American Dream

Submitted to Contest #93

The Other Side of the American Dream (inspired by F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby) Bob Scott and Betty O’Malley worked at Gatsby’s mansion in West Egg, Long Island. Basically they were part of the team who were responsible for keeping the mansion spic and span and who tidied up after Gatsby’s lavish parties. They could not believe how such refined people could leave such a mess. They saw the other side of the American dream when they picked up the champagne glasses and empty bottles, the plates, the cutlery—the half eaten baked h...

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Afterparty in Memoriam

Submitted to Contest #93

I plucked the last of the hot pink streamers from the corner of our living room and I let it waver gracefully on the way down, coming to drape over the sofa, spent from the day’s work of gussying up our home for our daughter’s birthday. I stepped down heavily from the step ladder, feeling like I could identify a little bit with the exhausted streamer. Herding a gaggle of children through explosions of sprinkles and forts of birthday presents is no joke. I looked over at my wife as I pulled the crepe paper from the couch. She was wearily s...

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Everything has a price

Submitted to Contest #93

The carnival was jostling with a crowd of gaily clad people, beaming with joy. It was the second day of the spring festival and, everyone was in high spirits. People of all ages were coming in. Some with their families while others with their friends. Some even came alone because what could be a better company than hundreds of stalls and swings? A young boy is running between his father's legs, marvelling at everything around him.  "Don't go too far, child! Come back here." called his mother as he lingered, fascinated by the sunflower f...

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The Invitation

Submitted to Contest #93

THE INVITATION             I was livid.              They’ve always been so ungrateful. So absorbed in their own concerns — the fickle and the transient, lost in too tumbling, too simple worlds. Not like me. No, I’ve always been better. Smarter. More aware of the unseen things. I’ve always been a good mother. And I should’ve known from the start of this that they didn’t appreciate me, they couldn’t care l...

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The Party's Over

Shortlisted for Contest #93 ⭐️

Content warning: gaslighting, domestic violence, sexual abuse of a child I am standing in my mother’s kitchen, sponging bits of turkey and mashed potatoes into the garbage disposal while Mom scrapes platters of leftovers into plastic bowls and Sis clears the table. Crowd noises and referees’ whistles emanate from the TV in the living room where the men rub their taut bellies and boast about the merits of their latest gadgets. Through the window, I watch the kids playing catch with the dogs and, for a moment, everything seems picture perfect....

47 likes 30 comments 30
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Shy and Retiring

Submitted to Contest #93

Shy and Retiring By Peter Wallace     “I don’t want to go.”     “You have to go.”     “But, I really don’t want to go.”     “I understand what you’re saying, but you really have to go.”     It was a standoff. Percy, named after former Illinois Republican Senator Charles Percy, was an introvert. A shy introvert.  A shy introvert who hated going to events like parties, especially if they were parties for him. He was a shy, pa...

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Hidden In A Book

Submitted to Contest #93

Diane’s pager sounded a familiar pattern of beeps. That meant the conference center was clear and the Dynamic Duo cleaning team could work their magic. They had three hours this time before the next group would arrive so they would have to work swiftly. Most of their income for the business came from Conference Center contracts. They would start with the kitchen and would finish up at the main hall. The conference that weekend had been made up of philanthropic word enthusiasts (generous word nerds in every day speak) and...

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TheParty

Submitted to Contest #93

Miguel had not been to a party in a very long time, not since the death of his wife. On that day life had ended for him. His heart was broken as the love of his life was tragically taken from him. They had been married for only seven years and had two daughters, ages five and three. That sad day was twelve years ago and in that time Miguel had devoted himself to raising his daughters. There was no social life, no other women. His daughters were his universe. During that time, Miguel’s friends and family tried ...

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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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