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Mendy Counts His Blessings

Ages 6-9 | Story and 9 activities

Mendy wakes up with a stuffy nose and a sore throat.

"No school today," says Mommy, touching his forehead. "You have a little fever."

Mendy groans. He likes school. He is supposed to get his turn as line leader. Now he'll miss it. He pulls the blanket over his head.

All morning, he feels grumpy. His nose is blocked and his throat scratches. The tea tastes too hot, then too cold. He tosses in bed and watches the clock.

Around ten, his older sister Rochel comes in. "Mommy told me you're sick. I made you something."

She holds out a piece of paper with a list on it. At the top, in her neat handwriting: Things That Are Good About Being Home Today.

"What's this?" Mendy sniffs.

"Read it."

He reads. One: No homework. Two: You can stay in pajamas. Three: Mommy makes chicken soup when you're sick. Four: Zaidy will come and tell you stories. Five: Nobody can make you do anything.

Mendy laughs, and it turns into a cough. "That's a silly list."

"Is it true?"

He thinks. "Number two is true. And number three."

"So make your own," says Rochel. "I bet you can think of more."

When she leaves, Mendy takes a pencil. He writes: Six: The window has a nice view of the big tree. Seven: My blanket is warm. Eight: Mommy kisses my head. Nine: I can take a long nap without anyone waking me. Ten: When I get better, I'll really love school.

He looks at the list. His cheeks are hot, but he feels a little lighter.

Mommy comes in with a bowl of soup, and the smell makes his nose twitch. She sits on the bed. "Look at that tree. A bird just landed on it."

Mendy looks. A little red bird hops from branch to branch. He watches it until it flies away.

"Eleven," he says. "A red bird."

"What's that?"

"I'm making a list of good things. Can I read it to you?"

She listens, smiling.

That afternoon, there is a knock at the door. Mommy opens it, and Shuli stands on the step with a folded card.

"The whole class signed it," he says. "And Morah said you can be line leader when you get back. We'll save your turn."

"Really?" Mendy feels his whole chest light up. "Thank you!"

"Feel better!" says Shuli, and waves as he runs down the steps.

After the door closes, he adds a twelfth thing: Friends who save my turn.

Zaidy comes by after supper and sits on the edge of the bed. He tells the story of the cow that learns to jump, and Mendy laughs until Mommy peeks in.

By evening, his fever is gone. He sits at the window and watches the sky go orange. He's had a hard day. But when he counts all the little good things, there are so many that he's lost track.

Before he falls asleep, he whispers the Modeh Ani he said that morning, but this time he really notices the words. Thank You for giving me back my soul. It means, thank You for everything.