Are you ready?
To meditate with Kari.
Get yourself all comfortable in bed.
Turn the lights down low.
Make sure that you're wearing your bestest comfortable pajamas.
And you're ready to relax and listen to a story.
Heidi,
Cherry and Vea were not relaxing at all.
It was Football Wednesday.
Or Soccer Wednesday.
Depending on where you come from in the world.
It was Football Wednesday and Heidi,
Cherry and Veya were playing football at the park.
With Amelia,
Adele,
And Remy,
Who were sisters,
And also their friends,
Zia and Kylie.
They were having a lot of fun.
Cherry was being a little bit overly competitive this day.
Which you know when you're very excited about life.
And you have a lot of passion.
Sometimes people like that,
Or cats in this case,
Can get a little bit too Serious.
When they're competing or playing a game or just doing anything.
Winning is the final goal.
Even though Winning is always very nice.
Winging is not everything.
Normally.
It's how you play the game,
Your attitude about the game.
How well you lose the game if you lose.
And also.
How much fun you have.
Right?
That's the most important thing about anything that you're doing.
If you're not having fun,
Why are we doing it?
That's my whole theory of life.
If we're not having fun.
Then why are we doing it?
So if I'm doing something that's very uncomfortable,
And I don't like it,
And I don't really want to do it,
If I can't make it fun.
And I can't change my attitude about it.
Them why am I doing it.
Back to the game.
They chose sides.
Heidi and Vea were playing with Amelia and Remy.
Zia,
Kylie and Adele were playing with Cherry.
It was quite an even game so far,
Which was what was driving Cherry crazy.
Call for time out,
She needed a chat with her teammates.
Right,
Right.
They were all huggled up together listening to Cherry.
This is it.
Listen,
Listen,
Listen.
I'm thinking,
We can beat them.
We can beat them.
We can have this game.
Why are we not being more aggressive about it?
I'm saying,
We can win.
We can win really easily.
We can take down Faya.
We can take down Heidi.
Heidi's always playing in her books.
She's not playing football that much.
She'll be tired soon.
Faya,
Faya's used to walking about in high heels,
Dressing like a princess.
She'll be absolutely pooped.
Soon you watch and and and you know those others well you know We can tick him!
We can tick him!
Dowel side.
Yeah,
But we're having so much fun!
Yes,
We are,
Said Cherry.
That is not the point,
Adele.
The point is we're supposed to be better.
Better than them,
Because that's how you win.
You have to be very serious and you have to play the game and you have to win.
And yes,
I know it's nice if you don't win and all that stuff,
But I am having a bad day today.
I'm telling you,
Life is not so great.
I didn't sleep so good.
I ate something funny yesterday and I was pooping up all night on the toilet.
How are you supposed to sleep when every two minutes you're pooping?
I was sleeping.
I was pooping.
I was sleeping.
I was pooping.
I was sleeping.
I was pooping.
It was horrendous.
And,
Hence,
I'm very tired.
And because I'm very tired,
I'm not in my bestest mood.
So I'm pre-warning you,
If we don't win this game,
I'm ripping eyeballs out.
Adele started laughing.
Zia and Kylie said,
Now you're not serious are you?
Cherry said.
No,
Thank goodness.
No,
I'm just playing.
But,
No,
I am serious about winning,
Though,
Because I have got no patience today,
And I really do need to win the game to make me feel better,
Because I didn't sleep all night because I was pooping.
Right?
Do we get it,
Team?
Do we get it?
Zia said,
Maybe you should just chill out,
Cherry.
Cherry said,
Oh,
That's the worst thing you can tell a person that's a little bit irate.
Chill out might not be a good idea they might bite your head off I'm not gonna bite your head off but I am gonna say I can't chill out Zia I can't I'm tired and slightly stressed and a little bit cranky and I'm saying Kylie you might get this I'm saying Kylie Zia look listen everyone Adele listen win this game for me,
And I'll be really happy.
That's all I'm saying,
All right?
That's all I'm saying.
Buckle up.
Focus,
Focus,
Focus.
Eat your protein bars right now.
If you've got a protein bar,
Eat it.
I mean,
Now.
In,
Like,
Five seconds,
Because that's all we've got left.
Anyway,
Eat your protein bars,
Get yourselves in order,
Get back on the pitch,
We're gonna win.
The girls were okay about Cherry being so intense but not really okay.
They were a little bit worried about her.
She was like perspiring.
Face was all taut and tight like she wasn't having much fun.
It wasn't very much fun to be around her to be honest.
You know sometimes when you're with someone that's really angry or really stressed and all of a sudden you start to feel really uncomfortable and your tummy hurts.
Tummy actually hurts like you've got tummy ache because you can feel all the negative energy.
It just feels so stressful inside your body.
And all you want to do is get out of the way because they're so yucky to be around.
It's a little bit like what Cherry was like today.
Anyway,
They carried on playing football,
Somehow,
Very quickly,
Into the second half of the game.
They got a penalty and Cherry is going to try and score a goal.
She was so focused,
So focused,
So intent on getting the goal that she couldn't see anything else.
She couldn't hear anything else.
She couldn't hardly breathe.
She wasn't focusing on the beautiful sky that day.
Very it was,
Unfortunately.
Look at the sky.
Me thinks it's so pretty.
" Cherry heard that.
I tried to focus!
Veya said.
Oh!
Erm,
Me sorry.
Sorry Cherry,
Go ahead.
Faye was hovering near the goalposts.
Heidi was in the goal.
She was running back and forth across the goal really fast,
Not knowing which way Cherry was going to kick the ball.
Than cherry-kicked.
But she missed the ball.
And kicked a giant stone next to the ball.
Giant stone,
Like half the size of the ball.
Oh my goodness.
If you can imagine.
Lightning striking through the sky.
Thunder.
The loudest thunder you've ever heard.
Lots of it.
Lots of thunder.
Thunder that was coming out of Cherry.
She was screaming,
She was shouting,
She was air-punching,
Air-punching with her little paws.
She was hobbling and jumping around,
Holding the back paw where she kicked the stone.
Broke me paw!
" said Cherry.
This feels worse than childbirth!
I've never done it,
But it does!
It feels so bad!
OMG,
Call an ambulance!
OMG!
Proper swear words she was altering the swear words but still the intention was there and it wasn't very very very positive at all what was coming out of her mouth so we'll just call it thunder thunder lots of thunder more thunder even more thunder more rolling around on the ground with more thunder and oh and some extra lightning in there and a little bit more thunder and then finally Heidi calmed her down I think you've broke.
One of your knuckles in your paw,
" said Heidi.
Cherry said,
I broke a tool!
Heidi said,
Um,
Yes,
Definitely.
Adele said.
Oh no,
Does that mean we have to stop the game?
Joe said,
Yeah,
Do we have to stop the game?
Heidi said.
Cherry!
You've broke your toe.
We have to stop the game.
I really needed to win today.
I'm so depressed.
I'm having such a bad day.
I didn't sleep from all the pooping.
I did so much pooping,
Heidi.
I did so much pooping.
And then I couldn't sleep.
And then because I couldn't sleep,
I'm so stressed and I'm so prickly and tired.
I'm like Henry the Hedgehog.
And just don't touch me.
Don't touch me.
I'm so prickly.
I just wanted to win!
Zia and Kylie,
Emilia and Adele,
And Remy,
All hubbed on Cherry.
She loved her girlfriend hugs.
They knew that this was going to make her feel better.
That's nice,
Said Cherry.
They carried on hugging and then they snuggled and kissed and blew raspberries on her and hugged her some more.
Amelia picked her up because she was the oldest there and she hugged her and spun her around and snuggled on her and said,
It's OK,
Cherry.
It's OK,
Cherry.
Everybody gave her lots and lots and lots of kisses.
Cherry side.
You know,
That's actually nicer than winning.
I should have just said,
Girls,
I need a group hug.
I need lots of loving and lots of kisses.
I need lots of extra attention today because I'm so tired and grumpy.
And that's all it would have took,
Wouldn't it?
And you would have been all there right there for me.
But this is the worst pain in the world.
This is so bad.
Do we have to go to the hospital?
Do we have to go on an ambulance?
I'd like to go on an ambulance.
I like it,
It makes me feel really important.
Heidi said,
When have you been on an ambulance before?
Cherry said,
Uh,
I haven't,
But I've used my imagination about being on an ambulance and it was really dramatic and it was like watching a soap opera on telly and they were rushing through the streets and they were like,
She's almost gone!
And I was like,
Sticking out my tongue in my mind,
You know,
Like being at the end of,
Of the earth,
Like,
Oh,
I'm so dying.
I'm so,
So dead.
Like,
I was croaking it.
I was croaking it in my imagination.
And they were really handsome.
You know,
The ambulance drivers.
Cherry looked at all the girlfriends.
So handsome girls.
They were so handsome.
Really cute.
They always are,
Aren't they?
Ambulance men or firemen.
They're always so cute.
You just want to snuggle them and kiss them to bits.
Anyway,
Yeah,
Yeah.
Do you think I need an ambulance,
Heidi?
Heidi said,
Not this time,
No.
Remy said.
Maybe she can use my headband and wrap it.
Wrap her toe with my headband.
Faye said,
Hmm,
We could find some sticks.
Some little tiny sticks and break them and use them as splints.
Heidi said,
That's a very good idea.
Let's do that because you really can't put a cast on a broken toe.
You just have to rest it and let it heal.
Maybe keep it still,
Keep it raised for a little bit.
Cherry,
You might not have to be able to play football for a while.
You might have to just lay down and rest.
And we might have to wait on you hand and foot.
Cherry said.
That sounds awesome.
That actually sounds really perfect.
Okay,
Okay,
Well,
Do your thing on my toe.
The girls and the cats did their magic with some sticks.
And with Remy's headband,
They wrapped her toe and then wrapped it around her foot so it was all still and the toe was nice and straight.
It was a little bit painful,
But not too bad.
Adele had found a snack in her bag and Cherry was munching away on that so she was quite distracted while the whole process was going under.
They put her on the bench on the side of the football pitch.
And everyone sat round.
Talking.
Laughing about different times they've got different boo-boos.
Veya remembered that time she broke her toe when she fell out of one of her princess shoes.
That's all he took.
It didn't even fall very far.
Said Veya.
Not far at all,
Just off my shoe.
The little toe was broken.
It was very painful.
Heidi said.
I remember one time I was reading this book that was so good I wasn't looking up.
I was walking through the living room and I walked straight into the living room door and broke my toe.
Just like that.
Cherry said.
I remember that.
It was so funny.
I was like,
Stop reading for goodness sake!
But you didn't.
You were reading that book the whole time mum and dad were kind of fixing on your toe,
Weren't you?
Heidi said,
I was on the last chapter.
It was such a good book.
Adele.
Amelia Zia and Kylie and Remy were all talking about different times that they'd hurt themselves and different boo-boos they got and all the stories and all the tales around it.
Some of them were funny,
Some of them weren't very funny,
Some of them were a little bit scary,
But it was a fun time just sat with the girls.
Cherry cheered up.
She cheered up a lot.
Actually,
She cheered up because of all the loves and the kisses and the hugs and the sweet things that everyone said about her.
Sometimes.
Rather than get angry.
Are frustrated.
Because you're not having a good day.
Because for whatever reason.
Maybe you didn't sleep very well.
Maybe something happened at home that made you sad.
Whatever it is.
Sometimes it's best to just tell someone that you're not feeling so good.
Tell them that you need an extra hug.
Some love,
Or for them to say something nice about you.
That would probably work so much better.
Than getting so angry,
So competitive,
So aggressive.
That you end up kicking a stone and breaking your toe.
Now Cherry can laugh about it.
Now she thinks it's funny.
It at the time.
She learned a very good lesson.
It's not really productive to be that angry.
It's always best.
If you could talk about it.
And tell someone what you really need.
Like a big snuggle.
The best is snuggles.
The ones where you feel.
All warm and safe and loved.
And you can close your eyes.
It feels like you're wrapped in a big,
Soft blanket.
Comfortable blanket.
Away from the rest of the world.
They're the bestest hugs.
Namaste,
My little friend.
