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Lesson: Self-compassion
A Kind Word for Kit
Kit has waited for the first strawberry from his very own plant, but it turns out to be white underneath. With help from a hen who keeps laying eggs in odd places, Kit finds a kinder way to talk to himself.
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Inside this story
Kit lives with his Nan and a speckled hen, Marigold, whom he always comforts kindly when she lays eggs in a boot or a watering can. Kit plans to give Nan the first strawberry from the plant he grew himself. Seeing a shiny red top, he picks it, then finds it white and hard underneath. It cannot be put back. Kit tells himself he spoils everything and hides behind the rain barrel. When Marigold slips into a puddle, Kit comforts her straight away, then notices he has never spoken to her the way he just spoke to himself. He chooses to use that same gentle voice for himself. The strawberry stays unripe and Kit stays a little disappointed, but he goes in to supper. Nan acknowledges how much he was looking forward to it, without dismissing it or fixing it, and sits closer. The story ends with Kit saying goodnight to Marigold and quietly to himself. Kindness to himself does not depend on success, a repair or another try, and there is no moral summary.