Little Lauryn Lollipop squinted as she ducked inside the entrance to the Murkymuck Caverns. It was dark in here, with the bright morning sun outside illuminating only a small part of the tunnel.
Thankfully, they managed to fashion a torch from the previous night’s campfire, which flickered and cast dancing shadows on the damp rock walls painted with strange markings and pictures.
“The Murkymuck Caverns are our best bet to get to the other side of the mountains,” Pico explained. “But they’re also full of dangers and easy to get lost in, so we need to watch our step.”
Lauryn quickly saw why as she bonked her head into a low-hanging stalactite. A few minutes later, Pico grabbed her arm to keep her from stepping off the edge of a drop-off. Lauryn returned the favour when Pico stepped on a booby trap, pulling him to the rocky floor as poisoned darts whizzed over their heads.
Bit by bit, the two picked their way through the caverns. Several hours later — at least they assumed it was several hours, as it was difficult to know how much time had passed in the darkness — they entered a new chamber. A BIG chamber, Lauryn determined, judging by how loudly their footsteps echoed and the fact they no longer needed to crouch.
She stretched her torch overhead as high as she could reach and still couldn’t see the ceiling. “Which way now?” Lauryn asked. Her words bounced off the stone walls, reverberating throughout the cavernous space.
But when the echoes faded, a new noise replaced them. At first, Lauryn thought it sounded like the roar of a big wind. Then the screeching started.
“BATS!” Pico screamed over high-pitched squeals and the flapping flurry of a thousand leathery wings.
Hundreds of bats exploded from their unseen perches, transforming the cavern into pure pandemonium. Lauryn and Pico thrashed wildly about to protect themselves from the creatures.
But with no signs that the bats were calming down, Lauryn grabbed Pico by the wrist and began running. Reaching the far side of the chamber, they groped along the rocky wall until they found the mouth of a small tunnel.
They crawled inside, and Pico wedged his suitcase into the opening behind them. The two sat in the inky darkness as the bats in the chamber beyond continued their deafening hullabaloo. After several minutes, the squeaks finally subsided until the only sound came from Lauryn and Pico trying to catch their breath.
Lauryn didn’t need to see Pico’s face to know he looked worried. They may have survived the bats, but they lost their torch in the escape. Now, she could barely see her own hand in front of her face, never mind the path ahead.
“Any ideas?” Lauryn whispered.
“Maybe,” Pico whispered back. A scraping sound soon followed, telling Lauryn that Pico was dislodging the suitcase from the tunnel opening.
*snap snap* came the now-familiar sound of the suitcase’s latches.
Next were the clinks and clanks and clunks of Pico rooting around inside the trunk, looking for something to help them out of this mess.
A short while later, Lauryn blinked as a soft glow suddenly appeared before her. There Pico stood, holding what looked like a pickle jar with holes punched in its lid. Inside were seven fluttering fireflies, radiating a pitifully faint light.
“Huh,” said Lauryn, not wanting to sound ungrateful. “Not very bright, are they?”
Pico smiled widely, barely visible in the dimly lit tunnel. “That’s because we haven’t charged them yet!” he said. “After all, these aren’t your average fireflies. These are cheery-chargers.”
Much like the pickle jar full of bugs, his explanation wasn’t very illuminating. Even in the gloom, Pico recognized Lauryn’s confused expression. “Let me show you how they work. What’s your favourite food?”
Lauryn wasn’t sure what her favourite food had to do with anything, but she decided to play along. “Grumpleberry pancakes with maple syrup, I suppose,” she said.
The second the words left her mouth, the fireflies grew noticeably brighter, revealing more of the rocky tunnel around them. Lauryn’s mouth hung open in disbelief.
“Cheery-chargers feed on happy memories,” said Pico. “The cheerier the thoughts, the brighter the bugs.”
Pico closed his eyes tight, his brow wrinkled in concentration. The jar of cheery-chargers suddenly grew brighter still. “I was just thinking about my favourite food,” he said with a shrug. “Rutabaga risotto.”
With that, Lauryn and Pico continued their journey through the Murkymuck Caverns, the way forward illuminated by a jar of well-fed cheery-chargers. Whenever the light dimmed, Lauryn would simply pause to think about the many marvelous things in her life.
Tobogganing with her brothers. The smell of Papa’s beard oil. Peanut butter toast dipped in orange juice. Wildflowers along the trail behind their house. Molly Muddles, the kind-hearted cobbler who owned the stall next to theirs at market.
And every time she did, the cheery-chargers would fly around the pickle jar with renewed vim and vigour and drive the shadows back.
After many miles — and many happy rememberings — Lauryn finally spotted light from another source up ahead.
The exit to the Murkymuck Caverns.
.
Ideas for your own journey!
Gratitude is like fireflies in the Murkymuck Caverns. Practising it makes the darkness around you feel a little less dark.
Sure, the world is full of stressful projects, scary headlines and bad hair days. But it’s also full of awesome things, from chocolate cake and the smell of freshly cut grass to snagging your favourite spot on the couch.
And reminding yourself of those little bits of goodness can be a powerful mood booster. In fact, scientists have shown that regularly acknowledging the good in your life creates all kinds of benefits — including better health, greater productivity, better sleep, more optimism, less stress and better relationships.
So what can you do to develop an attitude of gratitude? Everybody is different, so what works for one person might not work for someone else. That’s why it’s important to find approaches that fit you.
Some people keep a gratitude journal, jotting down a few positive things about their day before going to bed. Others meditate to focus on the things they’re grateful for. Or count their blessings while out on their daily walk.
Whatever approach you choose, just remember that gratitude is like any habit: practice makes perfect. Getting it to stick takes effort and discipline. That means it might be difficult in the beginning, and you’ll have days when you’re not very good at it.
But stay with it, and before long you’ll be reaping the many benefits of appreciating the little things in life.
CHARGED UP CHEER
Looking for ways to charge up your cheer? Try these gratitude activities.
Joy Jar. Find an empty jar — or a box or other kind of container. Put it somewhere visible like your bedside table or kitchen counter, alongside a pen and some scraps of paper. Every day, jot down one or two things you’re grateful for. As the jar fills, you’ll have a clear physical reminder of all the awesomeness in your life. And whenever you need a pick-me-up, open your joy jar and review the things you wrote.
Reminder Rock. This one is also very simple (and similar to the Talisman idea from the earlier grounding exercises). Find a rock you find interesting. Maybe it’s smooth and soft to the touch. Or sparkly when it catches the light. Or an unusual colour. Whatever you choose, keep it in your pocket or in a place you’ll regularly see it during the day. Then use it as a visual prompt to think about things you’re grateful for whenever you look at it.
Tops. This is a fun activity you can try with others. It’s a great way to get to know people, while reflecting on the good things in your own life. Simply take turns giving your top three answers to various questions. Ideas include:
- Top three favourite things from this week
- Top three things that make you laugh
- Top three favourite people in your life
- Top three things you love about your pet
- Top three favourite foods
- Top three favourite smells
- Top three favourite hobbies
- Top three things about your favourite season
- Top three movies or TV shows
Use your imagination! Tops can cover any topic or subject. Just keep it positive, as the idea here is to practise gratitude and to help others do the same.
NEXT: CHAPTER 8 – GREENOCK SWAMP
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