A Children's Story: Pixies In The Garden (Fear And Bravery)

The previous parts of "Pixies In The Garden" are below:

Part 1 - Nora Makes A New Friend
Part 2 - Xenon's Lesson About Truth
Part 3 - Death Is A Rebirth

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Today Xenon was busy, last night's heavy rain had turned the garden into a mess and he had loads of stuff to clean up. Nora in her shiny red boots had just come out of the house and was walking towards him.

- Hello, Xenon! Did you watch the storm last night? The lightning and thunder was terribly scary.

- Oh, hey Nora! Of course I watched it. I just love thunderstorms. It's one of the most spectacular shows of the skies, don't you agree?

- Spectacular? I'd say terrifying. Thunderstorms have always scared me.

- But why? Thunderstorms are nothing but an electrical discharge, a bright and noisy discharge that can do no harm when you're safely wrapped in your blanket and watching from your window.

- I know, it's just light that makes too much noise, but it stills scares me. And my brother always makes fun of me, Nora's voice sounded really sad.

- I am pretty sure Nick was equally scared by thunderstorms when he was your age. He is only making fun of you because deep inside he remembers that feeling and he is just trying to make you feel bad because he felt the same weakness. I doubt whether he has got over his fear completely.

- You think, Xenon? Is that why whenever a bolt of thunder strikes he seems so irritated?

- It could not be more obvious, Nora! You know what I think will help you ease your fear? If you try to understand what lightning really is and why it makes so much noise and that it is nothing more than a natural phenomenon. Perhaps you should ask your teacher at school. Sometimes we are scared of things because we don't know what they truly are. Once we get to know about them, we can understand that our fear was unjustified.

- I'm not sure, Xenon. I mean even if Miss Mathews explains everything about lightning and thunder, I will still feel uneasy during a thunderstorm and want to stay indoors.

- Let me give you another example. Last night's rain was so heavy that some parts of the town flooded. Floods can be really dangerous and people might die, does this mean we should be afraid of rain?

- Hmm... I don't know, I am a little confused, because rain waters all the forests and gardens.

- Exactly. Fear is healthy, it keeps us on alert when danger is present and notifies us that we should run or fight back. But sometimes we perceive as dangerous situations that are not. Are you afraid of the dark?

- Ahaa, I don't like it when mum turns the lights off after she puts me to sleep.

- Now this fear is a bit irrational. You're just afraid because you cannot see what is there around you. Shadows then take terrifying forms in your head and you start seeing "monsters" that are not there, is that right?

- Yes, Xenon. Sometimes I think there is someone in my room, but when I turn my light on, I see there is nothing strange.

- See? You must learn to evaluate your fear and decide whether it is rational and healthy or not. 

- Does this mean I will become very very brave?

- If you don't confuse bravery with carelessness yes. Demistyfying one's fear does not necessarily mean that you will go out during a thunderstorm, to get back to our first example. This is dangerous and crazy. But if you manage to realise where your fear comes from every time and try to take a deeper and more sensible look, you will be able to understand when it's normal to be afraid and when not.

- So, in the case of a thunderstorm is it right to be scared?

- If you are inside the house, no. If you are out and unprotected in a forest, then yes.

- And what about the darkness?

- Again, if you are in the house, lying on your bed and your mum has just finished her bedtime story and kissed you goodnight, then no. Darkness will only help your brain relax and rest while you're sleeping. But if you are walking in a forest in total darkness, then it is normal to be afraid, because you might fall and hurt yourself. 

- So, it is ok to be afraid, but something that scares me in one situation it shouldn't scare me in another?

- Exactly. And you will become brave once you learn how to control your fear. 

- And what about carelessness you mentioned earlier?

- Oh! Nora, careless in someone who has all the reasons to be afraid, because they see the danger in front of them and do nothing to protect themselves.

- But, Xenon, what about when someone sees the danger, is afraid but still goes right on it to save others? Like firefighters.

- Now this is something different, it's not carelessness, it's bravery because you know you will probably hurt yourself but you are doing it to help others.

- This means that it would be ok to go outside in a dangerous thunderstorm to save someone else, but not if I did so just because I wanted to play brave?

- Yes, Nora. Self sacrifice does not mean you are no longer afraid, it only means that you put others' well-being above yours.

At that moment a thunder struck again and the sky started to cloud over.

- It seems like a new storm is coming, Nora. You'd better get back in the house.

- Ok, Xenon. Will you be safe out here?

- Hey! I am a pixie, a creature of nature. I know pretty well how to protect myself. See you tomorrow, Nora!

- See you tomorrow, Xenon!

To be continued...

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*All photos, non-edited, from my very first experimentations with my Nikon D3400
Original story by @ruth-girl - Steemit, 2018 

Thank you so much for your time!

Until my next post,
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