I wrote a children’s book about anxiety. It takes place in Maine, where I grew up and it’s the book I wish I had when I was younger. Give it a read :)
Sally the Seal
Written and Illustrated by Quincy Whipple
Off the great coast of Maine, in the icy blue water, lived a family of harbor seals and their newborn daughter.
She had a brother Sam who could already swim, and when she grew up, she wanted to be like him.
The thing about Sally, the newborn seal, is that getting in the water felt like a very big deal.
She wanted to play and loved to explore, but swimming seemed scary because she had never done it before.
She couldn't explain why, but every time she tried, her little pup flippers froze up, and she cried.
She wasn’t a baby or a scaredy-pup at all, but the ocean was big and she was so very small.
She tried to be calm and share these feelings with her mom, but she just didn’t have the right words to explain what was wrong.
“The ocean is big and so very new, and I really like this rock and being here with you.”
Her mom looked at Sally and said with a sigh, You will always have this rock, so there’s no need to cry.
Sally opened her mouth, but before she could speak, her big brother Sam started to SHRIEK!
“Hey, Mom and Sally, look what I found; I saw it over there just floating around.”
Over in the water, smiling cheek to cheek, Sam had on his head something very unique.
It wasn’t a hat, they all agreed, but instead, it was a crown made of seaweed.
“Where did you find that?” Sally said to Sam.
“I found it in the water! Look! It came with a clam!”
Sally laughed a little, then shook her head from side to side. “I want to find one too, but I’m too scared to try.”
Sam swam up to Sally and, like a big brother should, took a big breath because he too understood.
Don’t worry, Sally; I know how you’re feeling. When I was a pup, swimming didn’t seem too appealing.
“You want to know what helped me?” said Sam with a smile.
“I just close my eyes and think for a while.
I take a deep breath, let it out really slow and picture a little cloud starting to grow.
Clouds flow with the wind, and just like you and me, sometimes they too like to swim across the sea.
They don’t mind if it’s cold or even if it’s raining.
They just sit in the sky and observe us like a painting.
So that's what I do when I’m feeling a little nervous. Life is like art, and it all has a purpose.
If the ocean wasn’t so big or so very new, there wouldn’t be as much room to explore, for me or for you.
So take a deep breath and just picture the clouds, because sometimes doing scary things can just make you feel a little more proud.