One day Vera
arrived home
full of anger
and complained
to her mother:
- I can't stand
Carla anymore,
Mom! She won't
accept any of
the ideas for
the things I
want to do. If I
want to jump
rope, she wants
to play house;
if I want to
play with dolls,
she wants to
ride a bike.
That's it! I
will not play
with her anymore!
Trying to calm
her down, her
mother recalled:
- But you were
always such good
friends, Vera!
Find out what's
happening to her.
Be patient, dear.
- No, mom,
enough is enough!
I won't speak to
Carla anymore. I
will never
forgive her!
Her mother
realized that,
at that time, it
was useless to
say anything;
her daughter was
aggravated. She
just embraced
her with love,
to make her
calmer.
A few days
passed. Vera and
Carla continued
not speaking.
One day, Carla
went to her
friend's house
and knocked on
the door. Vera's
mother came to
the door and was
glad to see
Carla:
- That's great,
Carla! Come in,
I'll call Vera –
she said leaving
the room to tell
her daughter
that she had a
visitor.
The girl came
running. But,
when she saw it
was Carla, she
became red with
anger and
shouted:
 |
- Get out of my
house. I do not
want to see you.
I'm mad at you.
Carla was
startled before
that reaction
which she did
not expect, and
ran crying and
screaming she
would never
return there.
The mother
looked at her
daughter with a
look of sadness
and said:
- I hope you
know what you're
doing, honey.
You just lost a
friendship
because of pride. |
Vera went to her
room, sad. For
many days, she
could not
forgive herself
for what she had
done to her
friend.
One day, seeing
that her
daughter was
suffering a lot,
her mother took
her to the yard
and showed her
the new bike she
no longer used.
- Look, honey!
Your bike is
starting to get
rusty!
- What is rust,
Mom?
The mother
explained that
rust is a
substance that
corrodes iron,
ruining it. And
that it was
happening
because she was
not paying
attention
|
 |
|
to her
bike, she did
not washed it or
went out with
it. Vera had
abandoned it! |
Concerned
because she
liked the bike,
Vera asked:
- And how do I
get rid of the
rust, Mom?
- You need to
thoroughly clean
the bike, then
wash it and wipe
it carefully.
Then use a
product that
fights rust.
Vera, with her
mind made up,
took a small
bowl with water,
a bar of soap
and a sponge.
Then she began
to clean her
bike. When she
finished, the
bike had another
appearance,
looking much
prettier.
Satisfied, the
girl asked her
mother for the
product against
rust, which the
mother brought
over and advised
her daughter on
how to apply.
Thus, Vera
dampened a clean
cloth with the
liquid and
applied it all
over the bike,
especially where
the rust had
attacked most.
Once she was
finished, the
bike was
beautiful and
shining!
Satisfied, Vera
looked at her
mother, who
smiled:
- Your bike
really looks
like new, dear.
You did a
beautiful job!
Vera sat on a
stool and stared
at the bike. The
mother, seizing
the moment,
explained:
- Vera, did you
know that rust
also attacks the
soul?
The girl looked
at her mother,
who continued:
- Yes, honey!
When we allow
negative
feelings to
dominate our
hearts and minds,
it is like rust
in the soul!
Lack of
forgiveness is
one of them and
it attacks our
heart eroding
our willingness.
Vera thought for
a moment,
understanding
what her mother
meant, and asked:
- And what is
the product that
cleans the rust
of the soul, Mom?
- It is LOVE,
dear. Only love
can change our
feelings.
Through
understanding,
forgiveness,
generosity, it
removes the rust
of our souls,
helping us to
shine again.
The daughter
showed that she
understood. Then
she told her
mother she was
going to the
house of her
friend Carla.
Touched, the
mother hugged
her daughter,
agreeing:
- I think you
should really go
visit her, Vera.
The girl ran to
Carla's house,
who lived close
by. She came to
the door and,
seeing Vera,
smiled with
satisfaction.
Vera asked:
- Carla, will
you forgive me
for what I did
to you? I did
not know what I
was doing to
myself! Do you
want to be my
friend?
Surprise, Carla
replied:
 |
- Of course I
want to be your
friend.
Incidentally, I
never stopped
being. It was
you who turned
away from me.
But what
happened that
made you change
your mind, Vera?
- Ah! I found
out that it was
not only my bike
that was rusty;
I also had rust
in my soul! But
later on I will
tell you
everything! Now,
let's play?
- Sure, Vera!
Yes, let's play!
What do you want
to play?
- You can choose,
Carla! I don't
mind. |
- Ah! You really
changed! And
what is this "rust
in the soul"?
Never heard of
it!
- That's when
bitterness takes
hold of our
hearts and we
stop to love
others.
And so, happily
chatting, they
decided to take
a bike ride
around the block.
Both were happy
and their
friendship
resumed to shine inside them.
MEIMEI
(Psychographed
by Celia X. de
Camargo on
16/06/2014.)
