People are all around you. Some people you know, and some you don’t. Some may be part of your family, like parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers, and relatives. Some are your friends, and some are your neighbors, teachers, and other people in your school and community. People are important. They can help each other, love each other, and have fun together. And as Herby and Jeremy find out, they can even build a tree house together.
Do you ever feel lonely? How are other people important and helpful to you? How can you be helpful to them?
We all need other people in our lives. It is important to have family and friends and be a part of a community that is made up of different people that interact, cooperate, and help each other. Think about the other people that are around you and how you can help them, because life is better when you can “do it together!”
Think about relaxing at a beach. Soft sand between your toes, the warm sun on your skin, cool breezes, crashing waves, and sparkling water. The beach can be a relaxing, refreshing, and exciting place to be. Life may not always feel that way, as there’s plenty to cause us aggravation and stress: work, school, activities, other people, our own hopes and fears. But Herby imagines that life, like a beach, really can be enjoyable if we embrace all it has to offer.
Do you find yourself drained and weighed down by the stresses of life? What would it be like to be re-energized, refreshed, and full of excitement again? What could you do to get there?
Sometimes life doesn’t seem very fun, and we can find ourselves in a rut. Maybe you can’t necessarily take a vacation to the beach, but try taking a step back from your ordinary routine to rest and recharge. Look for new experiences to re-awaken your senses and replenish your energy. Don’t settle for a life that’s dull and unexciting. Life is yours for the living, so “get out there and enjoy it!”
Often there are tasks we need or want to do that can seem difficult to accomplish. You may find it hard to finish projects, achieve your dreams, or simply take care of the daily responsibilities of life. Jeremy wants to build a treehouse with Herby, but when he looks up at the gigantic tree, it seems overwhelming—even impossible—and he wonders how it will ever get done.
Have you ever tried to do something and weren’t sure where to start or if you would ever get it done? Did you ever feel like giving up? How would you feel if you didn’t have to do it all at once but were able to accomplish it a little bit at a time?
While you may not be able to do everything you want, there are many things you can do but that will be difficult because of obstacles you will need to overcome. It can be easy to get overwhelmed or discouraged by a goal or project if you only see all the work that needs to be done. Instead, start with something small and take it one step at a time. Before you know it, you’ll be well on your way to accomplishing your goal. Little by little, you can achieve great things and build success in your life, “one nail at a time!”
Sometimes we may want to do something that we’re not allowed to do or that is wrong. Perhaps it is eating something you’re not supposed to, cheating on a test, lying, or taking something that doesn’t belong to you. Just because we want to do it, doesn’t mean we have to or should. Herby really wants to eat Jeremy’s fish, but he knows he is not allowed. Thinking about the fish though isn’t helping him forget about it.
What do you do when you want to do something you’re not allowed to do or you know is wrong? Is it good to do everything we want to do, or is it better to keep ourselves from doing some things even if we want to do them?
There are a lot of things in life that we should not do because they hurt ourselves or other people. Fight against the desire to do these things. Get your mind off of the thing that you want to do, think about something else, and ask someone else to help you do the right thing. When you are tempted to do something wrong, you can “resist the urge!”
If someone is committed to something, such as school, a sport, their job, doing the right thing, a friendship, or a marriage between a husband and a wife, it means that no matter what, they’ve decided to stick with it and make it work, even when it’s hard and they don’t feel like it. Feelings can come and go, but as Red and his wife point out to Herby, commitment is what lasts.
How would you feel if someone was committed to being your friend no matter what? What are you committed to? Are there people or pursuits in your life that you can be better committed to?
When we are committed, we can do remarkable things, like be able to play a musical instrument, or we can help other people and enjoy positive, long-lasting relationships with them. We can’t commit to everything, but once you are committed to something or someone, stick with it and don’t quit. It may be hard work, but the results are worth it. It’s the secret to making it “through thick and thin.”
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