101 Healing Stories for Kids and Teens

He told Brett. “Don’t worry,” his brother said, but Cam did worry. He couldn’t bear to think of
his mom drinking what was in the bottle, so eventually he built up the courage to ask her. “Mom, I
see the brandy in the cupboard has been going down,” he tried to say casually. “I didn’t think you
drank.”
“I don’t,” she answered. “I have been using it to cook your meals.”

STORY 18

GOOD, NOT PERFECT

Therapeutic Characteristics

Problems Addressed

■ Wanting to be perfect

■ Setting excessively high standards

■ Needing to face fear

■ Making mistakes

Resources Developed

■ Practicing desired skills

■ Overcoming anxiety

■ Managing mistakes

Outcomes Offered

■ Knowing not to expect perfection
■ Feeling good about what you havedone
■ Enjoying your achievements
Tom was confident at the audition for the school play and felt pleased to get a role. It wasn’t a
major role; those had gone to the senior drama students and, after all, this was only his first year at
high school. It just felt good to be in the play, even if he had only four or five lines.
He worked hard at perfecting those lines. He repeated them over and over again. He put in the
emphases and intonations that his drama teacher had suggested and, because he was on stage much
longer than for just his four or five lines, he had many actions to rehearse and perform.
“Do them in front of a mirror,” his drama teacher had advised him. “Watch how you look; prac-
tice and rehearse as often as you can.” Tom did just that. Drama was not just an interest. He wanted
to be a movie star, to make it his job.
He worked and worked at it. It was fun and exciting rehearsing. He enjoyed the time with the
older students. Then finally the big night came.
Suddenly, things felt different. The theater was full of people. As he dressed, he could hear the
chattering and noises of the audience in the auditorium—something that hadn’t been there during
rehearsal. He looked around at the other, more experienced actors and saw that the confidence they’d
shown at rehearsal seemed to have vanished. Everyone was on edge, anxious, and worried. Had they

CARING FOR YOU

Caring for Yourself 75