The Oak Tree
By Lexi
I’m pretty much an average ten-year-old kid. I have a mom, a dad, an older sister, a baby sister, and a cute Golden Retriever named Fluffy. My name is Yuna Yan, and I live with my family in a two-story house on Wibberly Avenue in Brooklyn, Connecticut. Nothing much happens here at all. Then there was the day I asked my mom if I could climb a tree. Nothing could go wrong there. How bad could it really be?
I had never climbed a tree before. All my friends had done it a million times, but I had always been too scared, even though I wouldn’t admit it. The trees were too tall, the branches - too weak. One day, one of my friends said,
“I think you’re afraid to climb the tree. Why do you never join us? We know you’re afraid, Yuna.”
I was speechless. I decided then and there that I would go home and ask my mom if I could climb the oak tree in the backyard. I had always been a little frightened of that big old tree. If I could climb the tree, I’d tell my friends and I wouldn’t be afraid of climbing anymore. that was the plan.
* * *
I flung my backpack in our corridor, yelled hi to dad and Avonley, my older sister, gave the baby a pat on the head, kissed Fluffy, and raced to my mom’s office, full of determination. “Hi!” I said.
“Hi, honey! How was your day?” Mom said.
“ Oh, it went great!” I replied quickly.
“Mom? Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“ I want to climb the oak tree in the backyard.” Mom looked shocked. “I thought we talked about this before, Yuna! You could fall and get hurt, it’s very dangerous. I can’t let you do it.”
All my hopes were lost. “Mom!” I said angrily. “ I can climb a tree! I’m not afraid anymore! ” I bit my lip. That wasn’t exactly true. I was still afraid.“ No,” said Mom for the last time.“ Ugh!” I yelled. “You never let me do anything!” I stormed out and stomped upstairs.
As I sulked in my room, a plan began to form in my mind. I tiptoed downstairs and slid out the door. I faced the tall oak tree, shaking a little. I carefully reached up and grabbed the nearest branch. I cautiously swung my leg over the branch and sat on it. I repeated this process a couple of times until I was as high as our second-story window. I had done it! “Yes!” I cried. I had done it! It was like magic. When I looked down, I noticed Mom standing in the doorway. I came down from the tree and went inside.
There was a look of disappointment on my mom’s face. I took a shaky breath, and said,
“ Mom, I’m really sorry for climbing the tree without permission. I didn’t want to hurt your feelings. I honestly just wanted to impress my friends and overcome my fear of climbing. I - I’m very sorry.”
Mom came over to me and said,
“Wow. That took courage to say, Yuna. I’m really proud of you!”
She hugged me and I immediately felt a whole lot better.
Quote:“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear- not absence of fear.”
By Lexi
I’m pretty much an average ten-year-old kid. I have a mom, a dad, an older sister, a baby sister, and a cute Golden Retriever named Fluffy. My name is Yuna Yan, and I live with my family in a two-story house on Wibberly Avenue in Brooklyn, Connecticut. Nothing much happens here at all. Then there was the day I asked my mom if I could climb a tree. Nothing could go wrong there. How bad could it really be?
I had never climbed a tree before. All my friends had done it a million times, but I had always been too scared, even though I wouldn’t admit it. The trees were too tall, the branches - too weak. One day, one of my friends said,
“I think you’re afraid to climb the tree. Why do you never join us? We know you’re afraid, Yuna.”
I was speechless. I decided then and there that I would go home and ask my mom if I could climb the oak tree in the backyard. I had always been a little frightened of that big old tree. If I could climb the tree, I’d tell my friends and I wouldn’t be afraid of climbing anymore. that was the plan.
* * *
I flung my backpack in our corridor, yelled hi to dad and Avonley, my older sister, gave the baby a pat on the head, kissed Fluffy, and raced to my mom’s office, full of determination. “Hi!” I said.
“Hi, honey! How was your day?” Mom said.
“ Oh, it went great!” I replied quickly.
“Mom? Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“ I want to climb the oak tree in the backyard.” Mom looked shocked. “I thought we talked about this before, Yuna! You could fall and get hurt, it’s very dangerous. I can’t let you do it.”
All my hopes were lost. “Mom!” I said angrily. “ I can climb a tree! I’m not afraid anymore! ” I bit my lip. That wasn’t exactly true. I was still afraid.“ No,” said Mom for the last time.“ Ugh!” I yelled. “You never let me do anything!” I stormed out and stomped upstairs.
As I sulked in my room, a plan began to form in my mind. I tiptoed downstairs and slid out the door. I faced the tall oak tree, shaking a little. I carefully reached up and grabbed the nearest branch. I cautiously swung my leg over the branch and sat on it. I repeated this process a couple of times until I was as high as our second-story window. I had done it! “Yes!” I cried. I had done it! It was like magic. When I looked down, I noticed Mom standing in the doorway. I came down from the tree and went inside.
There was a look of disappointment on my mom’s face. I took a shaky breath, and said,
“ Mom, I’m really sorry for climbing the tree without permission. I didn’t want to hurt your feelings. I honestly just wanted to impress my friends and overcome my fear of climbing. I - I’m very sorry.”
Mom came over to me and said,
“Wow. That took courage to say, Yuna. I’m really proud of you!”
She hugged me and I immediately felt a whole lot better.
Quote:“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear- not absence of fear.”