8Layla and the Butterflies of the Mind

In a sunny town lived little Layla, with a vast imagination; her mind was fertile ground for ideas and stories. But her imagination sometimes took her where it shouldn’t, especially when she tried to guess what people thought of her.

One autumn day she wore a new shirt decorated with big colourful butterflies. She loved it because it reminded her of the butterflies in her grandmother’s garden. But as soon as she walked through the school gate she felt every eye on her, and her mind began to spin a story: “Maybe they think my shirt is ugly.” Her heart sank.

“I can’t read people’s minds, but I can write my own story.”

At break she sat alone, and heard her friend Iman talking about a party she was planning, which she hadn’t mentioned to Layla. A small voice whispered in her head: “She didn’t invite you because she thinks you’re weird.” Her sandwich lost all its taste.

Her older sister, Ward, noticed her sadness, sat beside her and asked what was wrong. Layla told her all her fears. Ward listened, then said gently, “Your mind is like a storybook that’s always being written, and sometimes it writes stories that aren’t true. What if people were looking at your shirt because it’s bright and beautiful? And what if Iman wanted to invite you herself?”

The next day Layla decided to try. She complimented a classmate’s hat, and the classmate smiled and said, “I was just thinking how great your shirt is!” A little later Iman came up to her: “I’ve been looking for you all morning! I’m having a party this weekend and I want you to come, and I want your help decorating it with butterflies, like your shirt.”

Layla’s heart filled with joy, and she understood that her thoughts were like butterflies: some are beautiful and lift her up, and some she must set free so they don’t weigh her down. From that day on she wore her butterfly shirt with pride, knowing she could not read people’s minds, but she could always write her own story.