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Other people can do things that hurt us and cause us to feel angry at them. When other people hurt us, we may feel like hurting them back. Herby pretends he is a knight on a quest to slay a dragon—er, the neighborhood cat—who often pounces on him and causes him much trouble.
When someone hurts you or does something that makes you mad, do you ever feel like treating them badly or staying angry with them? What would happen if you forgave them instead? Have you ever done something wrong and needed other people to forgive you?
Forgiving others doesn’t mean that what they did was right and that you shouldn’t protect yourself from being harmed. But it does mean that you choose not to stay mad at them or hate them, and that you stop punishing or hurting them in return. When we don’t forgive, we only make things worse—mostly for ourselves! Those feelings can control us and keep us from enjoying life. Forgive other people who hurt you, just like you need other people to forgive you when you do wrong things, and you won’t look at them as “foul beasts” to be slayed.
When circumstances aren’t what we’d like them to be, we may feel unhappy, discouraged, and rather like complaining about them. Maybe the weather isn’t to your liking, you want something that you can’t have, or you wish your life was different. Sometimes it may even seem that there are so many bad things that happen, it can be hard to be glad about anything. Herby notices that even though there can often be plenty to complain about, there is still a way to be happy.
Do you ever feel like complaining about how bad things are? What good things can you be thankful for instead? How does it feel when you are grateful for these things?
Be thankful for the good things in your life. Even when it is hard to see anything good, keep looking, because you are sure to find something you can be thankful for. When we appreciate the good things in our lives and thank others for the good things they do for us, it makes us happier and healthier, it enables us to overcome problems, and it helps those around us. The extra effort it takes to be thankful will be “worth it.”
You may find yourself getting discouraged when you try to do something but fail at it. Maybe you’re scared to do something because you’re afraid you might fail, or you’re trying so hard to do it just right that you never actually step out and do it. Jeremy is discouraged because he struck out in his baseball game, but Herby reminds him that it’s okay to fail, and that stepping out and doing it, even if you don’t do it just right, is the only way to get good at it.
Are there times when you fail at something or are afraid that you might not do something just right? How do you feel when this happens? How would you feel if you knew failing was just a chance to get better at it?
It’s okay if you don’t do something perfectly. Just do what you can! With practice, you will get better at it. Don’t be discouraged, even if other people think you are bad or make fun of you for making mistakes. Failure is just part of the journey to success, and “that’s okay.”
When an artist paints a picture, they intentionally create something they care about that has worth and value. Every brush stroke is there on purpose, to help create the picture they want. When they make something so amazing and exceptional that it is considered their best work, it is called a masterpiece. While Herby paints a portrait of Jeremy and his friends along with the beautiful trees, sun, sky, and animals around him, he notices that these are each an amazing masterpiece of their own, even more amazing than anything he can paint.
What about the world around you do you find amazing and beautiful? In what ways are you a masterpiece?
You are an amazing, miraculous creation, and because of this you have great worth and value. Even though some things about ourselves and the world may not always be good and beautiful, like a painting that has been damaged somehow, they were still originally made to be amazing. What an artist it must be that created such amazing things like the earth, plants, animals, you and me! Remember that every artist creates a work of art with purpose and care, and that you are a “masterpiece.”
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