Things have not been easy for Martha since she got her cast. She has to take a break from all her favorite activities like soccer, volleyball, and dance lessons at school. She can’t even play in the Hockey Championship Game with her teammates.

But after she chose to stay home instead of attending Maria’s slumber party, her classmate Karissa decided to write her a letter in the hopes of cheering her up…

Hi Martha!

          I was really sad to hear that you weren’t going to Maria’s slumber party tonight; even though I understood that it was because of your injury. I never had an injury like yours before, but I know it’s not easy having to walk with crutches. Someone in my family told me that your arms can get really sore from having to carry your whole body around all day. You must be really strong after doing it for two weeks!

          All of us at school had lots of fun signing your cast. We hope that every time you read our messages you’ll feel much better. And know that we can’t wait until we get to see your cool dance moves again during our lessons. We also wanted to let you know that we’d be happy to continue helping you carry your books at school, move around the cafeteria, or anything else you might need an extra hand with. It can be hard asking others for help sometimes, but we all love being there in your time of need. Always!

          I know you were really excited to play in the Hockey Championships with your team, and because you can’t do the things that you used to do, you might feel left out or alone. It also becomes easier to feel sad and upset about the things you can’t control so you remove yourself from everything you like. But there is a bright side to everything that happens. It’s true! That’s just the way it works. Even in our most unfair situations there will always be a positive. Your last two weeks and your next two weeks might not be what you were expecting, or were hoping for, or maybe even prepared for. But sometimes, what can happen in those next moments might just be the things you need to get through it.

          So, I had an idea that I’m really happy to finally share with you. Instead of us gathering at Maria’s house for her slumber party, we all agreed that we would have much more fun if you were with us. We checked with your parents, our parents, and Maria, and we’re all on our way to your house to celebrate together. Surprise!

          I hope we can all bring many smiles to your face again.

See you soon,

Your Friend, Karissa <3

Definitions

There are lots of words that can help put a smile on someone’s face — especially when they aren’t feeling so great. Here are some bright words Karissa used in her letter to cheer up Martha:

Strong – having strength or great power in the mind or body

Bright side – the good part of something that is bad

Gathering – when people get together as a group

Celebrate – doing something special

Surprise – something unexpected