Nina was full of
herself. She was
only nine
years-old but
was proud and
arrogant, and
did not listen
to the advices
that her parents
would give her
with love.
Her mother would
say:
- Nina, you
cannot expect
your wishes to
prevail every
time. You are
still young and
have a lot to
learn from life.
If God has given
you to us as our
daughter, it is
so we help to
educate you in
the path of
righteousness!
However the girl
would answer
conceitedly:
- But Mom, I am
very smart and
know what I am
supposed to do!
At school, my
classmates ask
my opinion about
whatever they
have doubts and
are happy with
what I tell
them!
And her father,
who was silently
listening, said
softly:
- Nina, we know
that you are
smart, but
intelligent
people are
usually the ones
who err more
often because
they do not
listen to
anyone's
opinion. Surely
you will be a
person who will
achieve many
things in life,
but you should
grow up
listening to
your parents,
teachers,
reading many
books to learn
and then form
your own ideas!
Do you
understand,
darling?
But the girl did
not listen to
anything that
her parents
tried to teach
her, and shook
her head with an
expression of
disregard:
- Oh... It's no
use talking to
you! I'm tired.
You do not
understand me at
all!...
Her parents
looked at each
other and gave
up trying to
help her
understand what
they were trying
to teach. Nina
left the living
room with her
head held high
and went to the
street to play
with her
friends. At the
house of one of
them, there was
a delicious cake
that her
friend's mother
had baked. As
Nina was a bit
of a glutton,
she ate three
large pieces
accompanied by
juice.
Soon, she began
to feel ill. She
went home and
laid down.
Concerned, her
mother wanted to
know what was
going on, and
Nina explained:
- I had a
delicious piece
of cake at
Fernanda's house
but it was
probably spoiled
because I left
there feeling
very bad.
The mother, who
knew her
daughter well
considered:
- Nina, nobody
offers spoiled
cake to anyone.
You've been
eating too much.
Soon you will
start to put on
weight. You need
to change your
habits, honey.
But Nina did not
even hear what
her mother said.
She ran to the
bathroom and
threw up
everything that
she had eaten.
Then she laid
down again,
feeling weak.
The next day,
however, she had
already
forgotten what
had happened the
day before and
had a big
breakfast. Back
from school, she
was hungry and
lunch was
delicious; she
filled her plate
three times.
Watching her,
her parents
gently warned
her of
overeating,
which would not
do her any good,
but Nina reacted
by saying:
- As I am in the
growth phase, I
need to feed
myself well!
- But not in
excess, Nina.
Everything that
is too much
harms the body -
her father said.
So, as always,
thinking she was
right, Nina
started to
constantly
overeat. The
result was
immediate. She
started to put
on weight and
needed new
clothes and
shoes, because
nothing she
owned would fit
her anymore. And
Nina said:
- I do not know
what is
happening to me,
Mom! I think I'm
having a growth
spurt.
- That's true,
Nina. But you
are forcing your
growth. You need
to eat less if
you do not want
to get too fat -
considered her
worried mother.
- So you think
I'm getting too
fat, Mom? - the
girl asked.
- Certainly. You
need to eat less
and exercise
more, Nina.
The girl did not
accept what her
mother said. The
next day,
however, when
she arrived at
school, she
heard from her
classmates who
were whispering
nearby:
|
- Wow! Look at
Nina! She looks
like a whale!...
She wanted to
turn around and
fight the group
but they were
gone. Upset,
Nina went into
the classroom
and noticed that
her other
classmates also
looked at her in
astonishment.
Their teacher
noticed the
situation and
told the
students to be
quiet.
Nina sat there
full of shame.
Only at that
moment she
realized that
she should have
really put on a
lot of weight.
That day, she
heard jokes from
her classmates
but
|
 |
|
pretended
that she
had not
heard
anything.
At the
end of
the
class,
she left
quickly,
hoping
that her
mother
would be
waiting
outside.
With
relief,
she saw
her
mother
nearby
and ran
to the
car. |
- Hi honey! How
are you? How was
class today?
But Nina got
into the car,
hung her head
and began to
cry. Her mother
looked for a
place to park,
then hugged her
daughter and
asked what had
happened, and
Nina replied,
sobbing:
- Mom, I'm
feeling like a
whale! At least,
that's what they
called me when I
got to school. I
am very ashamed!
I do not know
what to do!
Then her kind
mother fondly
said:
- Nina, for a
while now your
father and I
have alerted you
about your
overeating. You
never accepted
help from us,
considering
yourself able to
direct your
life! But you're
just a nine
year-old girl,
honey! You know
nothing about
life, how to
act, how to deal
with problems!
We need to
accept help
because we do
not know
everything. And
when bad things
happen, we need
to have the
humility to ask
for help.
 |
- All right,
Mom. I need
help! Please
help me! What
should I do?
- Very well,
Nina. For
starters, eat
less, avoid
sodas, sweets
and greasy
things. And
exercise more
which is
fundamental.
What do you
think?
- Sounds good.
As I do not know
anything about
this, I will do
what you tell
me, Mom!
And Nina
returned to the
appropriate
weight for her
age, with more
willingness and
joy of living.
Her classmates
thought she was
much more
beautiful, which
made her
|
|
feel
happy
with the
effort
to lose
weight.
Her
determination
to want
to lose
weight
was very
important
and she
would
always
help it
with a
prayer
in which
she
asked
for the
help of
Jesus. |
Thus, Nina
overcame herself
and began to
accept the
opinions of
others,
recognizing that
she still needed
to learn a lot
about life.
MEIMEI
(Psychographed
by Celia X. de
Camargo on
13/07/2015.)
