Apr 1

Written by: cs4aauthor3
4/1/2008 7:56 AM

The Challenge:

Tara’s family went on a picnic. Tara wanted to help her Mom pack lunch but she couldn’t open the jar of pickles.

The Solution:

Tara made sandwiches with her Mom. They made cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches on pumpernickel bread. For their drink, Tara went outside and picked fresh mint from the herb garden. She added the mint leaves to the pink lemonade (Tara and her Mom mixed lemons, strawberries, water and some sugar together and put the pink lemonade in a thermos).


Tara looked at the picnic basket and thought to herself, something is missing, but what?! And then she figured it out—they needed pickles. Tara loves pickles, especially the really sour ones that make your face pucker up and tears come to your eyes.

Tara got down a jar of pickles from the cupboard and put it on the counter. She took a plastic container out of a drawer. She was going to pack pickles. But then she looked at the jar and thought to herself—how am I going to open this jar?! I hate having one hand. Why did this happen to me? I can’t believe that I can’t even open a jar of pickles!

Suddenly Tara was really angry and frustrated. She turned and stormed out of the kitchen. Her Mom was surprised and followed her out of the kitchen to her room.

“Tara, are you okay?” Tara’s Mom asked, standing outside of Tara’s room, looking at Tara’s door.

“Leave me alone.” Tara muttered, clutching a pillow and trying not to cry.

“Please let me in,” Tara’s Mom said.

“Can’t you read?!” Tara said. Tara’s Mom looked at the doorknob and saw the “do not disturb” sign on it.

“Okay Tara, I’ll give you a few minutes, but then if you’re still upset, I want you to talk to me about it, okay?” Tara’s Mom said and went downstairs, worried for Tara.

Tara lay down on her bed and stared at the ceiling. I hate being different. I hate being such a freak, what am I going to tell Mom? It’s the same stuff and it isn’t going to change, she doesn’t understand, she just gets upset too. Or she tells me something stupid. What would Princess Karina tell me now?

Right after Tara thought of her, Princess Karina appeared in a cloud of pink glitter.

“How are you Tara?” Princess Karina said.

“Fine,” Tara said, curling away from her.

“I thought you were happy today.” Princess Karina said.

“I was,” Tara said, a tear slipped down her cheek.

“What happened?” Princess Karina asked.

“Nothing, it’s stupid to be upset,” Tara said, sniffing.

“It’s okay to be upset Tara,” Princess Karina said, “it’s what you do about being upset that matters.”

“Really?” Tara said.

Princess Karina smiled and nodded. She floated above Tara and asked her, “Do you want to tell me about it?”

Tara told Princess Karina about the pickle jar and how hopeless it made her feel that she couldn’t even open the jar.

“There are at least three ways to deal with problems,” Princess Karina said, “one, you let them overwhelm you, two, you solve them, or three, you ask other people to help you.”

Tara scowled at Princess Karina. “You make everything sound so simple. I know it’s stupid to be upset about the pickles, but how am I supposed to live if I can’t even open a jar of pickles,” Tara howled.

Princess Karina watched Tara cry. Tara’s Mom heard Tara crying and opened the door.

Princess Karina stayed and watched Tara’s Mom rub Tara’s hair and hug her.

“I can’t open the pickles,” Tara wailed. Tara’s Mom said, “It’s okay, you know, when I was your age I couldn’t open jars either.” Tara looked at her Mom and hiccupped, “what do you mean-- you had two hands?!” “I wasn’t strong enough to open the jars,” Tara’s Mom said. “My sister used to open them for me, but then my Dad showed me a neat trick—you can tap the bottom of a jar with your palm, loosen the vacuum seal, and then take a dish towel and turn the cap.” Tara looked at her Mom, “did it work?” “Yeah, and I’ll show you how to open them,” Tara’s Mom said.

Tara and her Mom went downstairs to the kitchen and Tara learned how to open the pickle jar.

Princess Karina floated above them, smiled at Tara and then disappeared.

Tara and her family went for a picnic on a beautiful afternoon and ate pickles with their sandwiches.

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