Meet Molly and Velvet

By Ada Demlow, Children’s Librarian and Empathy Educator

There is nothing like a good story to help you imagine yourself in another time or place. That is why stories are so important in building a peaceful world. What better way to imagine standing in someone else’s shoes than through a story. Through the lens of a good story we can see ourselves, and others, a little better.

As a children’s librarian and empathy educator, I see over and over the power stories have to sow kindness and grow peace. Two stories I have used many times feature a couple of spunky characters that are both fun to meet and have a lot to teach us about the importance of being ourselves. Neither Molly nor Velvet try to “be like” everyone else to get accepted. Instead they stay true to themselves and discover that “being me” is the best thing to be!

Go to your local library and check these out! (Or get a copy of your own, because I bet you will want to read them again and again!)

Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon
by Patty Lovell

Even though she had a voice like a “bullfrog”, Molly Lou Melon’s grandma has always told her to “Sing out clear and strong and the world will cry tears of joy.” A grandma like that helps Molly to be a pretty confident child, but this is put to the test when she is forced to move away to a new town and faces a new school with a bully named Ronald Durkin. Molly stays true to herself, and is not only able to make new friends; she actually is able to make peace with Ronald.

This story is wonderful on many levels. First and foremost, it shows the absolute importance of believing in yourself, and staying true to your ideals. However, it also shows kids that just because you have a conflict with someone, it doesn’t mean that you have to be their enemy forever, things can and do change. Finally, it shows the importance that family plays in building peace and confidence in children. Molly’s relationship with her grandmother is pivotal to her ability to be self-confident and manage conflicts with her peers.

The story and illustrations in this book are very well-done, making it a great choice for reading aloud.

Odd Velvet
by Mary Whitcomb

On the first day of school, while the other children bring the teacher cinnamon tea and potpourri, Velvet offers "an egg carton filled with seven rocks, her favorite red shoelaces, and a half a sparrow's egg." This begins her classmates belief that Velvet is “odd”. It doesn’t stop there. Velvet does many things that make her peers wonder just where it is she came from.

Just like Molly Lou Melon, Velvet does not let her new kid or “different” status deter her from being true to herself. Like Molly she uses her gifts and talents and true self to show the kids what is inside of her. Slowly, but surely they start to see more than just an “odd girl”, but rather someone unique and pretty special.

This story takes on the additional element of the dreaded birthday party invitations.
Despite not being given the best hospitality, Velvet invites her classmates to her birthday party, and they accept the invitation and come. It is this party that really helps them start to look at Velvet in new ways and this shows kids that sometimes, even when it is difficult, you have to take the risk and invite people into your life rather than waiting for them to come on their own.

BE ME

by Stephen Costen

This month we will focus on one of the Peace Center’s four concepts. That concept is to “BE ME - discover the wonder and beauty within, were peace begins. Explore emotions, feelings, learn self-esteem, and use your talents and uniqueness.” It seems to me that the key here is to find the peace within.

Let’s begin our journey with the definition of exactly what peace is. The word peace encompasses a whole range of meanings, so let us narrow down our search for the meaning of inner peace or peace of mind, the kind that pertains to us on a personal level. For that there are three pertinent definitions- (1) state of tranquility or quiet: (2) freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts: (3) harmony in personal relations. The main idea that pops out at me when I read these definitions is that peace results from a particular state of mind. In other words, it is not something that we can receive from other people or that we can buy from a peace store. It is something that we accomplish by the way we think. It is the absence of conflict in our mind. It is important to note that external conflict is not related to peace of mind. Indeed external conflict is necessary for our inner growth.

By facing outside challenges and solving them in a calm and peaceful manner we practice cultivating our inner peace. How awesome it is to know that with the troubles, we can also have peace as well. Peace of mind! But we have to work to make it happen, it doesn’t just fall into our laps. Okay, now that we see what we are looking for, the next question becomes; how do we achieve it? Having a belief that the power of love and forgiveness will overcome any negative thoughts is a first step. Also, realizing that anything that brings conflict into our lives is just a temporary condition and by taking charge of our situation and our way of thinking in a positive manner will bring harmony in our lives. HARMONY = PEACE! With the knowledge that no matter what happens in this life, we can control our own inner peace simply through the use of positive thoughts and self-talking makes the problems of the world seem insignificant and therefore powerless to perturb us. This is not to say this is an easy thing to do. It takes much practice, determination, and willpower in order to change our way of thinking. The practice of meditation is one great way to still the disturbances of the mind. It allows us to block out all of the outside noise from a chaotic world and find the calming, soothing voice of our inner guide . Another practice that will allow us to experience inner peace is to make it a habit to forgive others when they do you harm. By forgiving the actions of others you are not condoning what they do, but you are saying no matter what you do I still love you. It is impossible to feel hate and conflict if you truly have love in your heart for your fellow man. The chief obstacle that stands in our way of doing this is pride. This is the main obstacle that make us the most vulnerable to attack, misbehaviors, and insults”, in other words, all the things that take away our peace of mind. When we think about it doesn’t most of our conflict with others come from having our pride hurt? Learn to forgive! You will be amazed at how that simple act will unshackle your mind and soul to bring you peace.

I hope that these thoughts will inspire you to act. Only when we are truthfully at peace within ourselves can our true potential shine forth. With the power of peace, the world is ours!