Hannah was a special little girl. There was only one small problem... she herself didn't think she was. Hannah wasn't really sure why she felt like that. It just seemed to be something that she had always known -that she was nothing special.
She was small for her age, so she couldn't run as fast as the others that won the races. She was shy, so she found it hard to make friends and only had one (and some days none when her 'friend' didn't feel like being her friend that day). She didn't have beautiful long blond hair or lovely brown eyes like some of the other girls, nor was she outstanding in any of her classes. She was, she thought to herself, just...well...ordinary.
One night, Hannah was lying in her soft, comfortable bed, thinking about school tomorrow and the math test. She tossed and turned. Hannah was finding it hard to sleep because even though she always tried hard in class, she didn't know if she'd do well or not. She'd like to, just once, do better than average.
As she twiddled with her stripey pyjama sleeves, gazing out at the night stars through her moonlit window, she heard something. Hannah frowned in the middle of a yawn (which is quite a funny face to see), not sure what the noise had been and stopped fidgeting. Yes, there it was again. It sounded like a whisper...
"Psst...Hannah...", said a small voice. Now, Hannah trembled a little at this unexpected event. Everyone else in the house was sleeping, she knew that. The voice wasn't scary though, she decided, it was soft and gentle, Her curiosity got the better of her.
"Yes? Hello? Who's that?", she asked, pulling her covers up just a bit more to her dimpled chin. Actually, it came out more like a squeak when she said it because she was still a little scared. Hannah squinted her eyes in the half light, trying to find the source of the voice.
"It's me! You don't know me?" said the voice, sounding surprised. "Hannah, you and I go way back. All your life, actually!". A chuckle followed that statement.
Hannah screwed her face up in a puzzled look. "Nope. I don't recognize the voice. Who are you?" she asked again, starting to sit up a bit now in bed as she was feeling a bit braver.
"I'm your heart, Hannah," said the voice.
"I didn't know hearts could talk!" Hannah exclaimed, sitting straight up now, eyes widening in her surprise.
"Oh yes, Hannah, of course they can!" laughed her heart. "'It's just that sometimes you need to listen very carefully. Today, I decided to shout instead of waiting to be listened to."
"Now then, Hannah," said her heart, in a 'you're about to get a telling off' tone of voice."What's all this about you being ordinary? I can hear your thoughts, you know. I know you've been thinking about this a lot recently. Tell me about it."
Hannah shifted uncomfortably in her bed, wondering if she was dreaming. She decided that if she was, it was a good dream anyway. Hannah thought to herself that she might as well enjoy this strange conversation, since she didn't get the chance to talk much most of the time.
"Well...I...umm...I am..." Hannah trailed off sadly, realizing it wasn't a great answer but hoping that her heart wouldn't notice.
"Uh huh...and why do you say that?" asked her heart, sounding to Hannah like it had indeed noticed.
"I just am..." sighed Hannah. "I'm not really smart or beautiful or a good runner or have anything good about me really...just average, I guess...". Hannah fidgeted with her sleeve again, her eyes downcast.
"Well, I know something good about you, Hannah!", declared her heart confidently. "Can you guess what it is?"
Hannah wondered briefly if her heart was just teasing her like the big boys did sometimes and felt her face turn red.
"Think for a moment, Hannah, no rush. I know you'll get there eventually," her heart said gently. Of course, being her heart, it knew what she was thinking and wanted her to know that it was not now and never would tease her.
Hannah thought and thought, twirling her brown curls as she did sometimes when she was concentrating, but she just couldn't come up with anything that was good about her. Hot tears welled up in her eyes. She tried hard to gulp down the lump in her throat. Hannah so wished that she had something special about her like all the others seemed to have.
"Hannah, you have a good.....something........take a guess then..." prompted her heart, trying to give her a clue.
"Um...bike?" said Hannah, hopefully.
"Nope..." replied her heart, patiently.
"Um....doll's house?" Hannah suggested, wrinkling her nose at such a silly guess.
"Nope..." said her heart.(A little less patiently, Hannah thought to herself, but wasn't quite sure).
"Er....party dress?" she said, knowing it was wrong but she liked mentioning it because she loved that dress, all pink and frilly and bows everywhere.
"Hannah, what am I, chopped liver??" exclaimed her heart, with a touch of exasperation, but laughing at the same time. (The heart made a mental note to apologize to the liver later.)
" The answer is heart, Hannah, heart, you have a good heart!!!".
"I do?" Hannah said, brightening. Hannah had never thought about that before.
"Hey, trust me, I know you do, Hannah. I'm it!" giggled her heart. "For instance, do you remember when Melissa fell and you helped her the other day when everyone else was laughing?"
"Yes," said Hannah, clenching her tiny fists at the thought of it. "I was mad at them for that. She was hurt."
"And you wiped her tears away, bandaged her sore knee up with your handkerchief, gave her a cuddle, then took her to see the nurse, waited with her to make sure she was OK...". Her heart took a big breath. That was a long speech, after all.
"... and because you did all that you missed your lunch, didn't you? Correct? " reminded her heart.
"Yes, I did, but it didn't matter really. I wasn't that hungry, so it was no big deal," shrugged Hannah, drawing her knees up under her chin. Suddenly it seemed that the stripes on her pyjama sleeves were really interesting to her. Hannah traced their outline up and down with her small fingers. Her heart smiled at this.
" But Hannah, don't you see?" said her heart. "It did matter. You took the time to help. It mattered to you enough to help Melissa when she was hurt, and I can tell you that it certainly mattered to Melissa that you did." The voice of her heart became even softer still.
"Listen very carefully to me, Hannah, please. Don't ever think that you are ordinary, just because you can't do some things as well as the others or because you think they are smarter or prettier or whatever than you. There's no such thing as ordinary. Everyone is special, and each of us has a gift of one kind or another."
"Yours, my dear Hannah, is that you have a good heart. That is your special gift, you see. Even if I do say so myself, a good heart will take you further in this world than you could ever dream of. So you keep listening to me and you'll do just fine!" declared her heart.
Hannah felt her heart swell inside her chest, puffed up with a warm fuzzy feeling she would have found hard to describe. Giggling, she snuggled under the warmth of the covers. "OK, sounds good to me!" she said, grinning widely as she realized that she was special after all and had been all along.
The stars twinkled bigger and brighter than she had ever seen them before as she gazed at them from her pillow, but maybe that was just because her pale blue eyes were shining with happiness. Hannah's lids started to close as she drifted towards sleep.
"Oh! One last thing before I go...don't worry about the test tomorrow, Hannah!" exclaimed her heart.
"Why not?" asked Hannah into the darkness.
"Because I think one little girl might be getting a special presentation tomorrow for being so thoughtful... and it'll be at the same time as the test," whispered her heart. If it had hands, her heart would have been clapping them together with excitement.(It just jiggled the valves a bit instead.)
"Who??" said Hannah, sitting straight back up again, wide awake. Hannah knew that her heart must mean her, but was just wanting to tease a little.
"Sheesh..." joked her heart, of course knowing that she knew really, but playing along with her game. Hannah and her heart's mingled laughter drifted away on the night air as she fell into a deep contented sleep, both of them sure they would talk again.
(I wrote this about four years ago, hope you all enjoy it.- Kay)
Kay's articles, musings and poetry have appeared in both internet and
print publications over the years. She writes on a variety of subjects and you never quite know where her mind will wander. Kay loves to hear from fellow writers! You'll find her slaving over a hot
keyboard at her blog, Hill Holler, or editing The Cuckleburr Times, an online magazine for writers of all experience levels - created by writers, for writers. Submissions are most welcome there. Please feel free to reprint any of Kay's articles. All she asks in return is you include this bio exactly as it is.
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» left by Kay Elizabeth(1,711) Kay Elizabeth (1 year 231 days ago.)
Awww, thanks, Avis! It's very special to me because I used to read it to my niece who was only five at the time and she just loved it. Feel free to share it with any that you think would enjoy it, young and old. I see no point in having a story for kids and keeping it tucked away in a drawer gathering dust. :) Thank you again. Respond to this comment
» left by Kay Elizabeth(1,711) Kay Elizabeth (1 year 229 days ago.)
Thanks, Steve, glad you liked it. It needs some polishing I know, someday I'll do that but for now, I like it as it is. :) Respond to this comment
» left by Judi Lake(2,395) Judi Lake (1 year 230 days ago.)
Oh, Kay, what a delightful story -- you drew me in so deep that I wanted to wrap my arms around little Hannah! Thanks so much for sharing this story; I have to read it to my daughter, she will love it! Thanks again!! Respond to this comment
» left by Kay Elizabeth(1,711) Kay Elizabeth (1 year 229 days ago.)
Thank you, Judi, I'd love that! Makes my heart glad to think that some wee ones would enjoy it. Everyone's welcome to share it with the young and young at heart. Thanks again for your kind words. :) Respond to this comment
» left by Judi Lake(2,395) Judi Lake (1 year 229 days ago.)
Kay, my 7-year-old 'insisted' on sending you her comments so please be patient with us:
Dear Miss Kay,
Mommy let me read your storie and it made me so happy.At first I felt really sad for Hannah but then I was so happy that her heart was so good.Mommy printed your story out and I brought it to school today and Mrs. Roberts red it to the class and everyone clapped. Thank you for making all of us so happy.Do you have another story?
Sincerely,
Laura Lake Respond to this comment
» left by Kay Elizabeth(1,711) Kay Elizabeth (1 year 229 days ago.)
(Aww, that just made my day, Judi, I almost cried I was so touched! Allow me to respond to Laura please :)
Dear Laura
Thank you very much for writing me such a lovely letter! I'm very happy that you liked my story and that your class did too! Please tell Mrs Roberts I said thank you for sharing it with your class, and thank you for taking it into school.
I wish I had another story to share with you, Laura, but it was my first children's story. You know what though, I think I'll have to write another one someday since you all liked it so much. :)
I do have a funny poem, though, will that do? It's called Jelly in My Welly. Where I come from, jelly is the same as jello and a welly is a rubber boot that you wear in the rain. Here it is, just for you, Laura, as a thank you for such a wonderful note:
**************
JELLY IN MY WELLY
There's jelly in my welly!
"Mum, look at this!" I cry.
I peer inside my welly
As I hold it to my eye
"There's no jelly in your welly.."
I heard my mummy say.
I need to get that jelly out
Before it melts away!
So I shake and shake my welly
It's still not moving though,
So I shake it by the heel
Then I shake it by the toe!
I wonder if my welly
Will EVER let it go!
I shake and shake it harder
I shake with all my might
I HAVE to get this jelly out
To show Mum I was right!
Then PLOP! Out of my welly
Comes a bright red wobbly prize
LOOK! A JELLY WELLY!
And it is just my size!
I wonder if tomorrow,
My socks will hold fruit pies?
*******************************
Thanks again, Laura, you've made me very happy today! :)
» left by Judi Lake(2,395) Judi Lake (1 year 229 days ago.)
wow Miss Kay.Thank you so much, now I feel just like Hanna.mommy printed out jelly welly andI am going to draw pictures on it and give them to everyone at school tomorrow.tomorrow is my last day of school for the summer and this can be everyones present and i will tell them it is from you.Thank you again. I have to go now,
Sincerly,
Laura Lake Respond to this comment
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