Lily loved bedtime. Not just because it meant snuggles with her teddy bear, Barnaby, but because bedtime meant dreams! Every night, Lily’s dreams were different, and always wonderful. But tonight, Lily felt a little bit worried. She had tried to build a tall tower of blocks all day, but it kept tumbling down. She worried she wasn’t very good at building.
As Lily closed her eyes, she found herself in a land made of fluffy clouds and sparkling rivers. A tiny, shimmering fairy with rainbow wings fluttered down. “Hello, Lily!” she chirped. “I’m Lumi, and I’ve heard you’re having a little trouble with your tower.”
Lily nodded sadly. “It keeps falling over. I try and try, but it just won’t stay up.” Lumi smiled. “Building takes practice, but more importantly, it takes believing in yourself. Close your eyes and *imagine* the perfect tower. See it strong and tall, reaching for the stars!”
Lily closed her eyes and did as Lumi suggested. She pictured a magnificent tower, made of every color imaginable, with little flags waving at the top. She imagined each block fitting perfectly, strong and secure. When she opened her eyes, Lumi handed her a small, glowing pebble. “This is a ‘Believe Stone’,” Lumi explained. “Hold it tight, and remember your imagined tower.”
Suddenly, Lily wasn’t in the cloud land anymore. She was back in her bedroom, but everything felt…different. She looked at her blocks. Instead of seeing a difficult task, she saw a fun challenge. She held the Believe Stone tightly and began to build. This time, she didn’t rush. She carefully placed each block, remembering the strong, colorful tower from her dream.
It wasn’t easy. The tower wobbled a few times, but Lily didn’t give up. She remembered Lumi’s words: “Believing in yourself.” She took a deep breath and adjusted a block. Then another. And another. Slowly, steadily, the tower grew taller and taller.
Finally, she placed the very last block on top! The tower stood tall and proud, reaching almost to the ceiling. Lily clapped her hands with delight. She had done it! She looked down at the Believe Stone, which had dimmed slightly, its magic used to help her believe.
Just then, her mom peeked into the room. “Wow, Lily! That’s the tallest tower I’ve ever seen!” Lily beamed. She knew it wasn’t just the blocks, or even the Believe Stone. It was believing in herself, and never giving up, that made her dream come true. She snuggled with Barnaby, feeling happy and proud.
Lumi’s voice echoed softly in her mind, “Remember, Lily, the most wonderful towers – and the most wonderful dreams – are built with a little bit of imagination, a lot of kindness to yourself, and a whole heap of belief.” Lily drifted off to sleep, dreaming of even bigger and brighter towers, knowing that she could build anything she set her mind to.