Being Happy

One time at my friend’s house the children didn’t ask me to play with them. So I was sad for a long time. Mama said, “Paulina, don’t be sad when the others say, ‘no, you can’t play.’ You could say, ‘OK’ and be happy and play by yourself. Is it your happiness just to play with them?” I said, “No.”

One day my two older sisters, Niklanna and Bella, were jumping rope. I asked to play with them, and they said, “No.” So I just walked away and said, “I’m not going to be sad, I’m just going to jump rope by myself.” And Jesus helped me not to be sad and forget about it.

And then, another day, my sisters said “no” again and I just walked away and did something else. And then Bella called me and said, “You can jump rope with me.” And then I said, “Thank you, God, for letting me be happy.”

—Paulina, almost 9