It was a bright and cheerful day at the playground. Sarah, a kind and curious 7-year-old girl, played with her friends as the warm sun gently kissed her skin. Suddenly, Sarah noticed a feeling she couldn't quite explain. Her chest felt tight, and she couldn't shake off an uneasy feeling. 'Are you okay, Sarah?' her friend Lily asked, with a concerned look on her face.
'I think so,' Sarah replied, trying to smile.
As the day turned into evening, Sarah felt the worry slowly growing inside her, like a seed taking root. When she reached home, her mom noticed the unease in Sarah's eyes. 'What's going on, sweetie?' her mom asked, pulling her into a warm hug.
Sarah hesitated for a moment before opening up. 'I don't know, Mom. Sometimes, I feel worried about things, and I don't know how to make it go away.'
Her mom listened carefully, then said, 'You know, Sarah, worries are a bit like pebbles in your pocket. Sometimes they weigh us down, but we can find ways to lighten that load. How about we make a worry jar? Whenever you feel worried, you can write it down and put it in the jar. We can talk about it later.'
Sarah's eyes sparkled with curiosity, and she nodded in agreement. Over the next few days, whenever worry crept in, she would jot it down on a piece of paper and put it in the jar. Some days, the worries seemed smaller once they were written down and shared with her mom.
One day at school, Sarah faced a situation that made her worry surge like a stormy wave. 'I left my homework at home,' she admitted to her friend Lily during recess.
'It's okay, Sarah. Let's think of a way to solve this,' Lily said, placing a comforting hand on Sarah's shoulder.
The two friends put their heads together and came up with a plan to inform their teacher and work on the homework during lunch. As they brainstormed, Sarah felt the worry ebbing away, replaced by a sense of relief and determination.