2020 was quite a year.
Though it may be hard to believe right now, we will one day look back with amazement and boundless gratitude for the gifts That 2020 brought us.
You kids were in many ways the heroes of 2020. You Showed strength and courage. You Showed kindness and caring. You reached out in beautiful ways to a world That needed your warm hearts & bright spirits To lead the way and bring us hope.
We are so proud of you and inspired by you!
What does it mean to be happy?
Clinical Psychologist
Everyone has a different way of thinking about it. Maybe it is that smile plastered on your face or a feeling of being at peace. Happiness is defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “a pleasurable or satisfying experience, joy.” Happiness is a feeling. Our feelings change throughout our day for a lot of different reasons. Emotions (the ones that feel good like happiness and the ones that don’t feel so good like anger) come and go.
*It is important to know that people are not supposed to feel happy ALL the time.* There are some things that we go through that can make us feel downright unhappy at times—like not being able to see a friend or family member. This is something that we are all dealing with as we move through the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is important to take some time to think about how we feel because our feelings and our thoughts can change what we do and how we act. One way to know our feelings is by using a feelings thermometer. Usually, we use a thermometer to measure how hot or cold something is. With a feelings thermometer, we can measure how much we feel a particular emotion. For example, we can think of the emotion of excitement. Maybe a score of “1” on the excitement thermometer would be getting no homework on a beautiful day and a score of “10” would be getting a new pet. You can use this feelings thermometer as a tool for all of the different feelings. When you feel worried, use the thermometer to rate how worried you feel. This will help you to feel better. This will show that you have gone through experiences when you have felt more worried and things turned out okay.
Try it out!
Once you know how you feel, let yourself have that feeling. Draw it out, listen to music that feels the way you do, talk to a friend about how you feel. It is definitely okay for people to have many different feelings at the same time.
*There is no such thing as a bad feeling.* However, it is also good to know how to make yourself feel good or happy. Take some time to answer the following happiness survey. When you are ready to boost your happiness feelings, remember this survey and take action. If drawing makes you feel good, go grab your paint markers and create! What makes you happy?
Happiness Survey (Fill in the blank with your own answers.)
What places make you feel happy? (for example, nature, my bedroom) __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Who makes you feel happy? (examples-friends, pet) __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________
What sounds make you feel happy? (examples- ocean, music, laughing) __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ What smells make you feel happy? (examples- lavender, brownies baking) __________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________ What do you do that makes you feel happy? (examples-take photos, draw, hike, play sports, listen to music) __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________
Feelings are what makes us human. As far as we can tell, there has never been an embarrassed bunny or timid tiger. Our emotions are part of our superpowers as people just like kindness and compassion. Just as our emotions are our superpower, they can also be all-powerful over ourselves.
*If we are feeling overwhelmed by unhappy feelings or if we can’t complete our daily activities due to unhappy feelings, then it is important to talk to people about it to feel better.* You can feel better. There are times when we all feel this way. It is okay to take the time you need to take care of yourself and do the things that bring you joy. You are in control.
PEACE & HAPPINESS Try them on, then pass it along! Dr. Ellen Curran is a clinical psychologist practicing in Rhode Island.
is a Christmas adventure movie revolving around an unnamed child called Hero Boy. Beginning to doubt Santa Claus’s existence, this boy is suddenly thrust onto a magical train that shows up in front of his house, where the Conductor tells him that he will take him to the North Pole. Once on the train he meets Hero Girl and Lonely Boy and learns that “seeing isn't always believing” through his adventures on the train and its strange mix of passengers of excited children, an odd crew and a mysterious ghost, to top it all off! The Polar Express is a computer animated film made back in 2004 that's based off a book written in 1985. The story ropes you in with quirky characters, such as the Conductor and a hobo who claims to be the king of the North Pole. Its beautiful visuals constantly catch your eye and its stunning audio quality make each scene impactful and alive. Speaking of audio, this movie is also partially a musical! It’s Hot Chocolate Song is one of the most memorable scenes in the whole movie! Even though this movie never gives its character real names, you can still feel very connected to them, understand their motives and love to watch as they find their way on the ride to the North Pole. On top of that, the children feel like actual children! Hero Boy slowly begins to believe in magic with all he's shown during the ride and you can really see when he starts to believe in the spirit of Christmas. However, it does take awhile, but it's always interesting to see his process and reactions to what's happening around him. This is my favorite Christmas movie and I make sure to watch it every year, without fail. It really puts me in the spirit of the holidays and even though I've watched it over and over, it always keeps me entertained! My personal favorite scene is the one where Hero Boy meets Hobo, just because of how weird, yet cool Hobo is. I really encourage everyone to sit down with their family, grab a nice cup of hot chocolate and some blankets, and enjoy this movie.
I give it 6 out of 5 candy canes! That's how much I love the Polar Express!
6 out of 5 Candy Canes!
Heartbeat Clothing, Ranchita, CA www.ILoveHeartBeat.com
Sophia H. Age 7 Bedford, ME
Autumn Sunset
Emily D.
Age 10 East Greenwich, RI
Nature’s Art
Reagan A.—Age 9 Portsmouth, RI