Life Skills Stories
These are short, gentle teaching stories which contain life skills and wisdom, and have been written for ‘children of all ages’. They are intended to prompt learning conversations between adults and children, and to be thought-provokers for adults. The stories were born when my cat made a huge noise one day coming in through the cat-flap—with a rat in her mouth. (Bless her, she turned round and took it straight back out again, after I’d yelled the loudest I could!). To this day, however, I’m sure she looked at me to make sure I’d ‘got’ what she was showing me, because after that, the cat and the rat created their own space in my awareness.
And so came into being the characters of MauMau (the temple cat), a wise teacher, and her friend, EekEek (the rat) who comes to her when he needs help and support. Their names come from their vocalisaitons: mau (Egyptian for ‘cat') is close to ‘miaou’, and eek is close to a rat's squeek.
I hope you enjoy them—and that they give you pause for thought, and gently open up the possibility for new understandings and ways of being in your world.
Drawing by Hailey (age 12)
Chasing the Blues Away
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MauMau takes EekEek into the temple and they start playing ‘tag’, to show him how moving his body—taking physical exercise—can help change his mood and his perceptions when he's feeling ‘stuck’.
Does it Make Your Heart Sing?
MauMau explains to EekEek how his body’s reactions will tell him if a choice or decision he has made is the best and wisest one for him.
Go Higher
EekEek gets to understand—and to practise—how gaining distance and perspective on an issue troubling him can lead to clarity and the delight of simple solutions.
The Greatest Gift
One of our greatest challenges is learning to love ourselves—to give ourselves The Greatest Gift. MauMau explains to EekEek the importance of loving himself, and tells him some easy and practical steps he can take to start giving himself The Greatest Gift.
The Happiness Store
EekEek learns how to store happy memories and good feelings inside his body, and how to access them when he’s feeling ‘down’ so he can relive them and feel happy again.
What Happens When We Die?
This question is prompted by the impending death of EekEek’s uncle. MauMau gently tells him about death and offers simple advice on how to cope with the loss of a loved one, and how EekEek’s love for his uncle can live on.
Why Am I Here?
MauMau gives EekEek some answers to big questions about the meaning of life and why he is here.
