A story for the kid
who's a little scared.

On the night before Iris's first day of kindergarten, she could not sleep. She lay in bed and listened to the house being quiet around her. The fridge hummed. The radiator clicked. Outside, an owl said something in owl-language, and another owl, far away, said something back. Her mama came in. "You okay?" "What if nobody likes me," said Iris. Her mama sat down on the edge of the bed. "Hmm," she said. "That is a real worry. Let me think." She thought for a long time. Then she said: "I think — and I have been a person for a while — that being scared on the night before a new thing is not a signal that the new thing is going to be bad. It is a signal that you care about the new thing. People who don't care don't get scared." Iris thought about that. The owls kept talking. "I care," said Iris. "I know," said her mama. "That's how I know you're going to be okay." Iris closed her eyes. The night kept doing its job. And soon, so did she.