Hope and the Big, Roaring Feelings

Hope was usually a happy girl. She liked dancing in puddles, drawing unicorns, and playing make-believe with her best friend, Leo. But one morning, something felt… different.

Her cereal was soggy.

Her favorite socks were missing.

And when Leo didn’t want to play unicorns at recess, Hope felt a fire start to bubble in her belly.

“Grrr,” she growled quietly.

“Let’s play trucks instead!” Leo said cheerfully.

“No!” Hope shouted. “I don’t want to!”

All day long, Hope’s tummy felt twisty, and her face felt hot. At home, even her little brother humming made her want to ROAR!

At dinner, her peas rolled off her fork. That was it.

“I DON’T WANT PEAS!” Hope yelled.

Her mom and dad looked surprised. “Hope,” her dad said gently, “what’s going on, sweetheart?”

Hope’s eyes filled with tears. “I don’t know,” she sniffled. “I just feel… MAD.”

Her mom came closer. “It’s okay to feel angry,” she said softly. “Everyone does sometimes.”

Hope wiped her nose. “But I yelled at Leo. And now I feel bad.”

“You know,” her dad said, “talking about your feelings helps them feel less big. Can you tell us what made you angry today?”

So Hope did. She talked about her soggy cereal and her missing socks. About recess. About everything.

Her mom nodded. “That sounds like a lot for one day.”

Hope felt a little lighter. She picked up a pea with her fork.

The next day at school, Hope took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I got mad yesterday, Leo. I was having a big, roaring day.”

Leo smiled. “That’s okay. Want to play unicorns now?”

Hope grinned. “Yes, please!”

That night, Hope snuggled into bed. Her tummy didn’t feel twisty anymore.

“I’m glad I told you how I felt,” she whispered.

Her mom kissed her forehead. “We’re always here to listen.”

And with a warm, squishy hug from both her parents, Hope fell asleep with a smile—her anger all melted away.

The End.