Fred tiptoed quietly passed Tabby to continue his exploration outside. Barely had he stepped out-
side the doorway when he heard a beautiful warbling. Millie, the magpie, was perched in the branch
of her tree. The sun shone gently on her back, the soft breeze swayed the branch, the sky above was
clear blue, and the fragrance of flowers filled the air. If I were Millie the magpie, thought Fred, I’d be
singing happily, too. Maybe contentment is appreciating what you have around you, and singing joyfully about it.
I don’t know if Fred Mouse discovered all there was to know about contentment or whether, if
he’d continued his journey, he might have found out a whole lot more. Perhaps what he learned was
enough for him just at that point. I can guess, though, that when Fred snuggled into the comfort of
his own bed that night, and closed his eyes to drift off to sleep, he could feel a little of that content-
ment that he’d seen Philip, Tabby, and Millie experiencing. And I wonder if, like Fred Mouse, you
are feeling a little more contented, too.
STORY 45
NAILING DOWN ANGERTherapeutic Characteristics
Problems Addressed
■ Feelings of anger
■ Temper outbursts
■ Uncontrolled behaviors
■ Feelings of powerlessness to changeResources Developed
■ Accepting the consequences of behavior
■ Learning about the impact of actions
■ Taking responsibility
■ Exploring new possibilities
■ Creating positive alternativesOutcomes Offered
■ Anger management
■ Skills in seeking solutions
■ Ability to use energy creatively
Matt was a nice enough guy. He enjoyed his friends and family and, mostly, they enjoyed him.
I say “mostly” because sometimes Matt could get really angry. If things didn’t go quite his way, he
could shout and scream at people. He would slam doors, push other kids around, or throw things that
happened to be near him. His mom and dad had long said things like, “You’d better learn to control
that temper, young man, or one day you will get into real trouble.” Now Matt was noticing that some
of his friends at school tended to be avoiding him more and more. The more he got angry, the less
they wanted to spend time with him.
MANAGING EMOTIONSManaging Emotions 129