One bright morning, Mum peeked into Mia’s room.
“Sweetheart, time to get up and get ready for school.”
Mia groaned, “Uuugh…” and pulled the sheet right over her head.
Mum laughed softly. “Sweetheart, up you get, you don’t want to be late for school!”
With a little grumble, Mia tossed off the covers and stumbled, thump, thump, thump!, toward the bathroom. She brushed her teeth, splish-splashed water on her sleepy face, and hurried back to her room. Soon, she was in her school uniform, her shoes tied tight, bag in hand.
“Mum, what’s for breakfast?” she called, still yawning. “Toast and eggs, my love,” said Mum.
Mia munched and crunched, barely tasting a thing.
When she finished, Mum jingled the car keys and smiled.
“Let’s go, sweetheart.”
Mia slung her bag over her shoulder and climbed into the car. Off they went, zooming to school.
The Bird on the Windowsill
One morning, Mia heard a sound, “Chee chee chee!”
She peeked from under her sheet… and there, on the windowsill, sat a tiny bird!
Its feathers shone softly in the morning light.
It tilted its little head this way… and that way… “Chee chee chee!” it sang again.
Mia held her breath.
She didn’t want to scare it away.
Then, the bird stretched its wings wide, like a big yawn across the sky, and chirped, “Chee chee chee!”
Mia blinked, tiptoed out of bed, and whispered, “Hello, birdie.”
The bird looked at Mia.
Mia looked at the bird.
Then, with a gentle flutter, the bird stretched once more, chirped, “Chee chee chee!”
and flew into the bright morning air.
Mia giggled.
She lifted her arms high, long and wide, just like the bird.
In the mirror, she saw her reflection, arms in the air, a big grin on her face.
Yummy Toast and Sunny Eggs
That morning, Mia hummed as she got dressed.
Her smile was as bright as the sun!
She skipped into the kitchen. “Mmm, breakfast!” she said, sliding into her seat.
She took a bite of her honey toast.
Crunch! “Mmmmmm,” she hummed as the honey melted sweetly in her mouth.
Then she looked at her fried egg, round and sunny, with a little tilt to one side. Smiling, she scooped a bite.
Slurp! Gulp!
“Mmmmmm!”
Mum watched her and smiled. “Something’s different this morning,” she said softly.
Mia wiped her lips, eyes sparkling.
She grinned.
A Habit of Happiness
From that day on, every morning when Mia woke up,
she stretched her arms high, long, wide, happy!
She grinned at her reflection in the mirror.
Sometimes, the little bird came.
Sometimes, it didn’t.
But every morning,
before leaving her room,
Mia sprinkled breadcrumbs on the windowsill for her little bird friend.
And every day began
with a stretch,
a smile,
and a heart full of sunshine.
Moral of the story Happiness grows from the little things. That’s how Mia made her mornings bright!
Each day, when you wake up, stretch your arms, smile at yourself in the mirror, and make your day beautiful.
Do it every morning, and soon it will become your special habit of happiness.