by Once upon a time, in a cozy little town with colorful houses and friendly neighbors, there lived a girl named Lily. Lily was born in 2017, and she loved everything that made life fun playing with her favorite doll, running through the park with her friends, and making up new games every afternoon. But there was one thing that made Lily’s days harder than they should’ve been—her big, heavy backpack.
This wasn’t any ordinary backpack. It was magical, but not in the way you’d expect. When Lily felt sad, angry, or jealous, the backpack would start to grow heavier and heavier, almost like it was filled with rocks! But when Lily was happy and felt kind, the backpack would feel lighter than a feather, like it was filled with nothing at all.
One sunny afternoon, Lily and her best friend, Emma, were at the park. They had their favorite dolls with them and were pretending they were in a magical world full of castles and dragons. Everything was going great until something unexpected happened.
Lily had just finished building a beautiful dollhouse out of sticks and leaves, and Emma was admiring it, when suddenly, Emma knocked over the dollhouse with a loud thud. The dolls and sticks scattered across the ground, and Emma gasped. “Oh no! I didn’t mean to! I’m so sorry, Lily!”
Lily stood there, staring at the mess. Her heart sank. Her carefully built dollhouse was ruined. Why did Emma do that? Lily thought. I worked so hard on it!
And just like that, her magical backpack started to get heavier. It felt like there were bricks inside it now. It was as if every angry thought and feeling about what happened was being added to the weight of her backpack.
“Ugh! Why does my backpack feel so heavy?” Lily mumbled, struggling to walk with the weight on her shoulders.
Just then, her Grandma, who was known for being wise and kind, appeared from behind the garden gate. She saw Lily’s frustration and walked over to her with a warm smile.
“Hello, my dear Lily,” Grandma said softly. “Why do you look so upset?”
Lily let out a big sigh. “Emma knocked over my dollhouse! She didn’t mean to, but I worked so hard on it, and now it’s all ruined! And my backpack is so heavy!” Lily said, holding her backpack up like it was filled with rocks.
Grandma nodded and sat down next to Lily. “Ah, I see what happened,” she said. “You’re holding onto your anger about Emma, and that’s making your backpack heavy. When we hold onto feelings like anger, jealousy, or sadness, it’s like we’re carrying around rocks in our backpack. But if you let those feelings go, your backpack will feel much lighter.”
Lily looked confused. “But Grandma, I’m mad at Emma! She ruined everything!”
Grandma smiled gently. “It’s okay to feel mad, Lily. But if you keep holding onto that anger, it will only make you feel heavier. You have the power to let go of those heavy feelings and forgive Emma. When you forgive, it’s like taking the rocks out of your backpack, and your heart feels much lighter.”
Lily thought about it. She really was upset, but Grandma was right. The heavier her backpack got, the more tired she felt. Maybe if she forgave Emma, her backpack would feel better. But how could she forgive her for ruining her hard work?
That night, before going to bed, Lily decided to try something. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and thought about Emma. She remembered all the fun times they had together—playing games, telling stories, and laughing. Maybe Emma didn’t mean to knock over the dollhouse. It was an accident, and accidents happen.
“I forgive you, Emma,” Lily whispered to the night. “I don’t want to carry this heavy backpack anymore.”
As soon as Lily said those words, something magical happened. Her backpack felt lighter, like it had turned into a fluffy cloud! She smiled, feeling peaceful inside. Maybe forgiving wasn’t so hard after all.
The next morning, Lily woke up and grabbed her backpack. It felt so light, like it was filled with air! She skipped downstairs and was ready to start the day.
When she saw Emma later that day, she smiled and said, “Emma, I forgive you for knocking over my dollhouse. I know you didn’t mean to. Let’s play together again!”
Emma’s eyes lit up. “Really? You’re not upset?”
Lily smiled. “Nope! I don’t want to carry around that heavy feeling anymore. Let’s build a new dollhouse together!”
From then on, whenever Lily felt upset or angry, she remembered Grandma’s words. She knew that holding onto bad feelings made her feel weighed down, but forgiving others made her heart light and free, like when her backpack felt as light as a balloon.
And so, Lily learned that forgiveness wasn’t just something you did for others—it was something you did for yourself, too. It made her heart happy, and it made her life much more fun.
So, if you ever feel like you’re carrying a heavy backpack of bad feelings, remember Lily’s story. Let go of the anger, the sadness, and the jealousy, and your heart will feel as light as a feather.
The end.
Goodnight, little one! Sweet dreams, and remember: forgiveness is the key to a light heart!
