Discussing Current Events with Anxious Children

In a valley quite jolly, with hills big and small,

Lived a worrier named Elara - she worried them all!

She worried ‘bout raindrops, she worried ‘bout sun,

She worried that worrying never was done!

She’d wring both her hands and she’d furrow her brow,

Thinking, Oh dear, oh my! Oh whatever, oh how?

But down by her garden, where wildflowers grew,

A traveler appeared in a cloak that was blue.

He wiggled his whiskers, he wobbled his hat,

And he gave her a grin, saying, let’s chat about that!

You worry and worry, you twist and you stew

But tell me, dear friend, is that helping you?

Elara stood still, and she blinked once or twice,

I suppose that it isn’t, but worry feels wise!

The traveler chuckled, “Now come walk with me,

Let’s follow the river and see what we see!”

They strolled past the stream with a glippity-glap,

Past rocks that were smooth and trees that went snap!

He scooped up a stone, round and polished just so,

And said, “Once it was jagged, a long time ago.

This stone didn’t fret, didn’t worry, didn’t fight

The river just rolled it, from morning to night.

It tumbled and rumbled, it spun all around,

And bit by small bit, it got softer and round.”

Elara held it - oh, smooth as could be!

Could worry just roll right away like the sea?

She clutched the small stone and she took a deep sigh,

And for once in her life, let a worry float by.

The traveler nodded, his lesson now through,

Then tipped his old hat and he bid her adieu.

And Elara? She smiled - a small, simple start,

For something had softened, deep down in her heart.

So when worries would wiggle, would wrangle, would whizz,

She’d whisper, “Oh well, let them roll - that’s just fizz!”

She planted new flowers, she laughed more each day,

And all of her worries just rolled right away!