I Am Light!

What We Are Exploring This Month:

Helping kids see their light—beyond mistakes, moods, and moments.

Somewhere between feeling no shame at all and being paralyzed by it lies a space where we can make a real difference for young people.

When a baby learns to walk or use a spoon, there’s no shame in the countless tumbles and spills—it’s all part of growing. Yet as kids get older, shame quietly slips in. On the playground, it keeps them from joining a game. In the classroom, it stops them from trying a harder book.

The same is true for behavior. When kids react impulsively, they rarely have the tools to pause and reflect on why. In my counseling office, I’ve seen children grieve over angry words or actions that got them removed from class—haunted by what others might think and weighed down by shame.

Helping them understand that their worth is separate from their behavior is not easy.

That’s why I created a lesson and wrote ‘Ludwig the Hippo’ using the metaphor of the sun and clouds: the sun represents who we truly are—our light, goodness, and worth—while the clouds symbolize our tough moments and reactive behaviors.

When clouds take over, our light can’t shine out, and we also can’t feel the warmth and support shining toward us. But with techniques that help kids “break through the clouds,” they can learn to separate their identity from their actions—and start to see both their own light and the love that’s been there all along.

✨ Check out the links below to explore the lesson and story.