Wanting Someone Else’s Story

Wanting Someone Else’s Story

This is a story about a child named Mira, who was always looking at other children and wishing she had a life like their life.

Mira was sitting on the lawn in front of her home with her Mom.  Mira read to her Mom, the Story that Mira wrote at school about herself.  After she finished reading, Mira saw her classmate, Hope, in front of the house next door.

Hope was sitting on her lawn, reading her Story.  It appeared to Mira, that Hope was beaming and giggling in delight, at her own story.

Mira looked down at her story and her posture slumped in a gesture of disappointment.  Mira’s Mom reminded Mira, that Story’s change all the time and that she had the power to change the Story of her future at any time. Her Mom went on to remind her, that she simply needed to get clear about what she wanted the Story of her future to be.  Mira was not persuaded.

Mira looked over at Hope and said to her Mom, “Hope is so lucky, I wish I had her life.” Mira’s Mom encouraged Mira to take a closer look and find out about Hope’s Story.

That sounded like a good idea to Mira, so Mira walked across the grass into Hope’s yard.  As Mira got closer, she realized that Hope was not giggling, but instead, trembling and making sniffling noises.

Mira peeked over Hope’s shoulder.  To Mira’s surprise, Hope was weeping and the only thing written on Hope’s paper was, “I spend my days wishing I had Mira’s life.  She’s so lucky.”

Before presenting questions, we can reassure our child that, whatever they are feeling is right and suggest that we explore the issue.

Questions we can ask our children:

• What is it about the other child, that makes you wish you were living that child’s life?  What is it about that, that make you want it?
• Do you feel like something is missing in your life? If so,
  • What do you feel is missing?
  • How important is that?
  • What are some things that you can think of  being, thinking or doing that bring that experience or thing into your life?
  • What are you willing to do to get it or experience it?
  • Would you like to make a plan to make that happen?
• What are some of the things and experiences that you have that someone else might wish they had or experienced?
• What are some of things about you as a person, that someone else may wish that they could be, have or accomplish?
• If you were someone else looking at you, what would you say your strongest attribute is?