19 18 To give herself courage, she stretched out her arms and opened her hands. “You can’t give with closed fists,” she thought, smiling. Charlotte wrapped up all the remaining chocolates in gold paper and ribbons! She then slipped quietly into each bedroom, looking for the best place to put her chocolates: one on Dad's pillow, one on Mom's book, another in her little brother's sneakers, and one next to Annie's stuffed panda. She had one more chocolate left. Where could she put it? As she considered eating it, Charlotte opened her other hand and remembered her generous neighbor. “Auntie Ivy! That’s it!” she thought, all excited. With her wool hat down over her ears and a scarf wrapped around her nose, Charlotte set out. Guided by the glimmer of the streetlights, she placed her last chocolate on Auntie Ivy’s doorstep. She rang the doorbell and crouched in the shadows, eager to see what would happen. Auntie Ivy opened the door and searched the darkness to see who had rung. Then she spotted it, right at her feet: the piece of chocolate from Charlotte. She carefully gathered it up and unwrapped it. Then, with eyes closed, she Charlotte practices the virtue of generosity. Charlotte chooses a tool: open hands. 53 52 From their earliest years, children are able to identify specific emotions, and from the age of reason, they have the capacity to deal with them. This unique series on the emotions responds to that potential with both faith and guidance, offering a virtuous pathway to a happy life. Joy is a highly valued and sought-after emotion. We get out of bed every morning in the hope of happiness. Joy is a feeling of exultation that makes us feel strong. It's a sign that we are in harmony with our surroundings, that our hopes and desires will come to fruition. As a parent, teacher, or educator, how do you teach joy to children? First of all, be open to the causes of joy. We have five senses that enable us to be receptive to our surroundings. Take time to encourage the child to pay attention to the signals our bodies send to make us aware of good, pleasant, and beautiful things all around us: Through sight—the loveliness of the countryside, the kindness of a smiling face… Through smell—the aroma of freshly baked bread, the scent of a flower… Through hearing—the sound of music, the song of birds… Through taste—the sweetness of caramel, the spiciness of cinnamon… Through touch—the warmth of sunshine, the comfort of a hug … Once we are aware of the causes of joy around us, we can experience wonder and gratitude, which are sisters of joy. Transform This Test through the Virtues Your five senses allow you to appreciate each moment of joy. And these little moments of joy added to one another contribute to a happy state of mind, giving you high spirits. • Like Charlotte and Elliot, you can transform a short moment of joy into true happiness thanks to the virtues of generosity, tactfulness, and perseverance, which open you to others. Your joy will increase as it spills over to others; it will never run out. That's how joy enters the virtuous pathway. It then goes beyond being a pleasant emotion and fills your heart. • On the other hand, when you seek pleasure solely for yourself, without sharing it, you may momentarily feel happy, but your heart remains empty. And so you seek more, but in vain. This endless search for pleasure leads to greediness, which is a vice, the opposite of virtue. Greediness makes us more and more dependent on pleasure, which little by little isolates us and can even lead us to use others to satisfy our desires. That will make us unhappy, for we are made for relationships, to love and be loved. Joy expands our hearts and opens us up to sharing. It radiates out to others. Joy encourages us to hug, to celebrate, to share, to give, and to welcome others! However, sometimes, joy can lead to self-absorption, which distances us from those around us or from the situation we are in. That’s what happens when there is too much joy combined with a focus on ourselves. parents' Corner Don't forget: Knowing how to identify something as good, pleasant, or beautiful leads to joy. Three engaging stories on the subject of joy Valuable tools to help children share their joy with tact and generosity. Explanatory pages for adults to help the children they love. THREE STORIES ABOUT SHARING JOY 23 2 The Birthday Party Elliot couldn't sit still. His birthday was coming soon! He wanted to celebrate with an amusem nt park right at home. There would be an inflatable pool filled with bouncy balls in the yard, a giant slide down the stairs, and, in the attic, an obstacle course between elastic ropes. There would be music. And all his friends would be invited: Tim, Jack, Oliver, and Charlotte! He couldn't wait. If only he could make time go faster! He had butterflies in his stomach and ants in his pants: he hopped; he twirled; he jumped for joy. Elliot notices how his body is reacting. 49 Virtues come to the aid of emotions! In each story, to share their joy with others, Elliot and Charlotte chose a virtue. Do you know what a virtue is? A virtue is the habit of choosing to do what is right. At first, that Virtue of generosity • Virtue of tactfulness • Virtue of perseverance • • Charlotte and Elliot choose to smile when faced with difficulties. • Charlotte opens her hands in order to share. • Elliot breathes as he lowers his hands and repeats: “Tactful, Elliot. Be tactful.” Since it's not always easy to practice the virtues, Elliot and Charlotte find tools to help them! Find these tools in the stories and link them below to the corresponding virtues. Do you know any sayings about joy? “Happy as a lark” or “I’m on cloud nine” are two. Can you think of two others? Do you know? Guided steps to help children recognize emotions and manage them with the aid of good habits. I STOP TO THINK... I act... 6 7 8 9 How will I handle my emotion? Vice oR vIrtuE ? 2 3 4 The Pathway through Emotions 5 1 I own my emotion. An emotion is a reaction to an event perceived by our five senses. It tells us we need something. Then it's up to us to work through it! To better understand what's happening, follow Elliot and Charlotte along the pathway of emotions! 1. Experiencing a Stimulus I have a positive experience involving other people or my surroundings. 2. Sensing My Emotional Reaction I sense: lightheartedness, the smile on my face. I feel: relaxation, strength, awe at the beauty before me. 3. Identifying the Emotion I ask myself: What am I feeling? I realize: I feel joy. 4. Owning the emotion I own the emotion for what it is: an emotion itself is neither good nor bad. How will I handle my emotion? 5. Discerning What to Do I think about what would be good for me and others. 6. Recognizing What I Need I need to share, to celebrate, to open myself up to others. 7. Seeking Ways to Answer My Need VIRTUES/VICES Generosity, tactfulness, perseverance. Greediness, tactlessness, moodiness. Happiness Love, peace, joy, respect, selfesteem, and so on. Unhappiness Closing in on myself, being insensitive to others, giving up too soon, and so on. 8. Making a Decision I choose how to react: to share, to be attentive to others, not to give up. 9. Taking Action I use the tools that will help me exercise virtue: open up my hands, lower them down as I breathe slowly, and smile. 10. Practicing Day after Day Regret Temptation So now, how do I deal with my emotion? Let’s break it down into steps. Written in language children can understand. fOR AGES 7 AND UP
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