Scarlet Learns About Emotions
"Ugh!!" Scarlet tweeted in frustration at her top hat nest.
"What is wrong Scarlet?" Ashby asked her.
"This straw will not stay where it is supposed to stay! It is so frustrating!" Scarlet tweeted loudly.
"You sound really frustrated. Maybe you should calm down and rest a little, then try it again." Ashby said calmly. "We don't need your emotions getting out of control, now."
"Emotions?" Scarlet asked. “What are emotions?”
"Yes, emotions." Ashby answered and continued, "Your feeling of frustration is an emotion. Different people feel different emotions at all times. Whether it's calm and relaxed, happy, sad, angry, etc… like right now you are feeling frustrated. That is called an emotion and we deal with them every day of our lives... good and bad."
"Really?" Scarlet tweeted, still having her feathers ruffled. "Tell me more about emotions Ashby."
"Well, emotions and feelings, which they are often called sometimes as well, function on so many different levels. They can cause us to be sick in some instances where our emotions are unmanageable and we can't calm ourselves down. Have you ever been so upset that your tummy was hurting?" Ashby asked Scarlet.
"Oh yes. In fact, when I first left my nest as a baby bird, I was so scared that I couldn't eat for a whole day!" Scarlet tweeted. "My tummy was nervous and upset."
"Exactly. Nervous and scared are common emotions. Our emotions can take over our lives if we don't get control of them. But, they are our most reliable source of how things are going on in our lives and it is also a way to tell how things are going on in other people’s lives too. Like yours, for instance. I knew that you were frustrated about something, but I didn’t know what, until I had asked you."
"Wow Ashby, our emotions can take over our lives if we are not careful!" Scarlet tweeted.
"You are correct Scarlet," Ashby continued, "If you hold your emotions inside of you, it can cause physical problems, such as an upset tummy, as you had experienced before. Emotions can affect our body physically as much as it affects our thinking and feelings. Emotions need to be felt and then released. Especially negative ones. Some people keep their negative emotions inside of them and then when they become too overwhelming, it's even worse than before when they are finally released."
“Ahhh!! This straw is making me mad now!”
Scarlet tweeted loudly.
"Nonsense, Scarlet, that straw isn't making you anything. You are making yourself frustrated and angry. You are the only one who can change what you feel. You are letting that straw control you." Ashby scolded Scarlet. "Take a deep breath, gain control of yourself and I am sure you will figure out what is wrong with the straw and why it isn't working the way you want it to."
Scarlet did just as Ashby told her. She closed her little eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened her eyes. She looked at the straw and finally realized why it wasn’t working the way she wanted it to.
“You’re right Ashby!” Scarlet tweeted happily. “I see what the problem was!”
“Now you are expressing a feeling of happiness. Such a big change than before, isn’t it Scarlet?” Ashby laughed.
Scarlet giggled, “Yes, I supposed Ashby.”
"See? Our emotions directly effect how our bodies work. Even though it is hard to control our emotions at times, sometimes, when we do control them, we can look at the problem a different way and then find a solution, once we are thinking straight and rationally."
"Ashby, you are so smart!" Scarlet tweeted. "There, now the straw is working in perfectly!"
Timmy Loses Max
On a cloudy Saturday afternoon, Timmy was sitting under Ashby on a blanket. Timmy was looking very sad. Ashby could tell he had been crying.
“What’s wrong Timmy?” Ashby asked.
“Yesterday, I came home from school and I was always used to Max meeting me at the door. He would lick my face and I would pet him every time I came home.” Timmy sniffed and continued, “Yesterday, he didn’t meet me at the door. My mom said Max got very sick and she had to take him to the vet. Max was old, I know, but he was my best friend in the whole wide world. My mom said the vet said that Max was going to die and that my mom should say her goodbye to him.” Timmy started crying again. “I never got to say goodbye to Max. My mom said she said goodbye for me, but I never got to tell him that I loved him one more time.” Timmy began crying more.
“Oh, I am so sorry to hear that Timmy.” Ashby said comforting Timmy. “I am sure he knew you loved him very much.”
Scarlet flew down from her nest and stood on the blanket next to Timmy and said, “Timmy, I am so sorry to hear about your dog Max dying. I remember seeing him playing in the meadow and chasing the ball you used to throw to him.”
You can read the rest of this story from any of the major book sellers, or also at http://www.vincestead.com or http://www.fun2readbooks.com You can also listen to it in Audio.
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