John and the Worry Backpack

By D.L.

John was 12 years old. One day he woke up and his worry backpack was already on his back.

It was very very fluffy and heavy. It looked like a big gray cloud with straps. John did not like it because it made him feel slow.

Inside the worry backpack was sadness, anger, and frustration. The sadness felt like a wet blanket. The anger felt like hot rocks. The frustration felt like tangled string.

John went to school with his worry backpack. His classmates saw that he looked sad.

They said, “John, are you okay?”

John said, “I don’t know. My backpack feels too heavy.”

Then Stella came over. Stella was nice. She said, “Maybe you can take one worry out.”

John opened the backpack and told Stella about the sadness. Then the backpack got a little lighter.

After school, John petted Stella’s dog. The dog was soft and happy. John smiled a little bit.

Then the anger got smaller. Then the frustration was not so twisty anymore.

John still had his worry backpack, but it was not as heavy now.

He learned that when you tell someone how you feel, the worries do not have to stay stuck inside.

And John felt a little better.