Ten year-old Chris was an angry and grumpy boy. He acted like a wild animal. Thus, he would scare away all who approached him, for they did not know how he was at that moment and how he would react. One day Chris wept a lot. His best friend Dale screamed and ran after a fight they had for an banal reason: - You are like a porcupine! Enough, Chris! I cannot play with you anymore!... He opened his eyes wide and asked, crying:

- Porcupine... Why porcupine?... - Because you drop barbs everywhere - the friend yelled as he walked away. Back home, Chris could not stop crying. Seeing him so sad, his mother wanted to know what had happened and her son said indignantly:

- Mom, Dale called me a porcupine! After that, the discomfort I felt here in my chest increased!... Well, actually, I always feel this discomfort, but now it's worse. Am I sick? Feels like a pain; I cannot explain it!...

His mother looked at him and saw him clutching his chest with his hands, grimacing. Knowing her son, she asked:

- Chris, have you noticed when or why this pain appears?

- No... Ah! I remember this unease feeling appeared the other day... when I fought with Tom! - he replied, after thinking a bit.

- Oh... - exclaimed his mother. - Interesting. Think a little more, son.

- Last week, I felt the same thing! That's when I argued with Marc in the classroom, and the teacher told us off - he came to remember.

The mother nodded, showing that she understood and asked:

- Think, Chris. What's similar in the situations that have caused you discomfort?

- It seems that it happens when I fight with someone! - he exclaimed, surprised.

- Exactly, son. Do you realize the harm you are doing to yourself? When we fight with people, it is because our emotions are not well. So we need to improve them, that is, wish others well, learn to forgive, treat people better, show friendship, affection, patience, tolerance with all...

- Is that it? - asked the boy.

- Do you think that's easy? This change is everything in life, my dear. You will notice the difference. And if you find any difficulty, say a prayer to Jesus.

- Okay. I'll start tomorrow morning - Chris resolved.

But at night, his brother approached and asked Chris, very angry:

- Chris, did you take my new book of stories, the one I am reading?

To the question, which seemed more like a certainty, Chris blushed, puffed his chest, and feeling offended opened his mouth to reply. But at that moment, he looked at his mother, who smiled as if to say: "This is your opportunity to change, my son."

So Chris thought of Jesus, and asked for help. After a deep breath, he started to calm down, and as he looked at his brother his expression was more serene. With a smile, he said:

- Bob, I did not take your book. Would you like me to help you look for it? It's just that sometimes when we look for something in a hurry, we cannot find it!

Chris' reaction surprised his brother, who were so angry before. He calmed down, agreeing:

- It's true. Maybe I didn't look enough. But you're different, Chris. What happened? - he asked, intrigued.

- I'll tell you later, Bob. Now, let's look for your book?

Right then, looking at the floor, Chris saw the book lying next to an armchair. He stooped and picked it up.
 

	- Ah... Here it is, Bob! I found your book!... Embarrassed, the boy apologized: - Only now I remembered I was reading the book in this room. Thank you, Chris! If it were not for you, I would not find it so easily!...
He smiled, pleased with himself. He looked at his mother, who was watching:

- How are you feeling, Chris?

The boy opened a wide smile, excited, ran and embraced his dear mother, full of love:

- I am very happy, Mom. The interesting thing is that I do not see it, but I can feel that a light leaves my chest and spreads well-being, joy, satisfaction, and a lot of good feelings! And that light, which spread around the room, also reaches my brother and you...

- Do you see the difference, son? The wellness that a good deed provides?

- It's true, Mom! And how much evil we can do when we are angry, nervous and unhappy with everything!... Tomorrow I will apologize to my friends whom I have annoyed so much.

From that day on, Chris started to not react on an impulse anymore; he would think before he'd speak and, thus, he started to treat everybody better.

He became loved by all and much, much calmer.

MEIMEI
 

(Psychographed by Celia X. de Camargo on 11/25/2013.)