STORY 17
WHAT YOU GIVE IS WHAT YOU GETTherapeutic Characteristics
Problems Addressed
■ Impulsivity versus consideration or reflection
■ Sneaky behaviors
■ Going against parental standards
■ Covering up guilty behaviorsResources Developed
■ Remembering to think before you act
■ Taking responsibility for your behaviors
■ Facing the consequences of your actionsOutcomes Offered
■ Finding that what you give is what you get
■ Learning the law of cause and effect
■ Being considerate of others
Brett and Cameron were brothers. Brett was the older and the more adventurous. He was the one
who tended to jump in and have a go at things, not stopping to think what might happen until after.
Cam was the younger and more cautious, thinking ahead about all the possibilities that could happen.
One day Brett and Cam found themselves at home, alone. Their parents had gone out somewhere
and thought the boys were old enough to be trusted by themselves now. Some of Brett’s friends at
school had been talking about being allowed their first drink of alcohol. Brett and Cam’s dad liked to
have a beer when he got home from work some nights. Their mom didn’t drink at all. Whenever Brett
had asked if he could taste his dad’s beer, his mom jumped in quickly, saying, “When you are older.”
Now that their parents were out, Brett thought it was a chance to see what alcohol tasted like.
He didn’t dare touch any of his dad’s cans of beer since Dad would know how many were in the fridge
and would notice if one was missing. He knew Mom kept a bottle of brandy in the cupboard that
seemed to have been there forever. Brett poured Cam and himself a glass.
“What if Mom finds out?” asked Cam.
“Don’t worry,” answered Brett, encouraging his brother to drink up. They drank a little... and
a little more. It tasted hot and fiery. Brett didn’t know if he liked it or not—but he had to pretend to
be macho in front of his little brother, didn’t he?
Again, Cam voiced his worry. “What if Mom sees the level has dropped in the bottle?”
Brett hadn’t thought that far ahead, but now he had a brilliant idea. “We’ll pee in the bottle,” he
said. “It is the same color as brandy and Mom doesn’t drink it. She’ll never know.”
Cam felt guilty for drinking the brandy without his mom’s knowing, and more guilty for pee-
ing in the bottle. Every now and then he would check the bottle in the cupboard—and was horri-
fied to see the levels dropping. Someone must be drinking it! Was Mom a cupboard drinker?
74 Healing Stories, Teaching Stories