101 Healing Stories for Kids and Teens

It was a special moment of tenderness. I think we all felt touched about doing something nice
for something else, by being part of an act of kindness. In the end, it wasn’t just the joey that bene-
fited. We felt happy for being part of the rescue.

STORY 54

THINGS MAY NOT BE WHAT THEY SEEM

Therapeutic Characteristics

Problems Addressed

■ Misinterpretation of situations

■ Formation of false beliefs

■ Jumping to conclusions

Resources Developed

■ Learning to test reality

■ Learning to assess your assumptions

■ Examining how we can misinterpret cues

■ Looking at how false beliefs are formed

Outcomes Offered

■ Being careful about jumping to conclusions
■ Assessing the beliefs you are forming
■ Humor
Sally put up her hand. “Please, ma’am, can I be excused?” She needed to go the toilet.
She had just entered the cubicle and sat down when she heard the voice from the next cubicle
say, “Hi, how are you?”
This is weird, thought Sally; kids don’t usually talk to each other in the toilet. She didn’t recognize the
voice but Sally had been brought up to be polite, to speak when you are spoken to, and all those sorts
of things, so she replied, “Eh, fine. How are you?”
“I’m okay,” came the voice from the next cubicle. “What are you doing?”
That seemed a bit of a rude, personal question to ask someone when they were both sitting in
the toilet, thought Sally. Yet she was polite, and answered, “Eh, the same as you, I suppose.”
“How did you do on the exams? What did you think of the math test?” the voice inquired.
“Okay, I think.” said Sally. Maybe the girl with the voice is just trying to be friendly, she thought.
“Math doesn’t worry me. Actually I like it and was happy with the test.”
“Do you think you passed?” the voice asked.
“I think so, but I’m still glad they’re finished. What about you? How did you do?” asked Sally.
“I might have scraped through,” continued the voice. “Say, what are you doing at the weekend?
Would you like to celebrate with a sleepover at my house?”
Sally was taken by surprise. How do you answer such a question by someone you don’t even
know, except as a voice in the cubicle beside you? It was kind of the girl, thought Sally. She seemed

144 Healing Stories, Teaching Stories