Luna loved her little collection of emoji pillows. There was a happy face 😊, a sad face 😢, an angry face 😠, and a surprised face 😮. Tonight, Luna felt…fuzzy. Not happy, not sad, just…fuzzy. She hugged the happy face, but it didn’t feel right. “I don’t feel like smiling,” she whispered.
Her mom tucked her in and asked, “What’s wrong, sweetie?” Luna shrugged. “I just feel…fuzzy. I don’t know what it is!” Mom smiled. “Sometimes feelings are tricky. Let’s ask your emoji friends for help.”
Luna held up the sad face. “Does feeling fuzzy feel like this?” she asked. “A little bit,” she admitted. “But not *exactly*. Sad feels like tears want to come out.” Mom nodded. “Good observation! Now, what about this one?” She pointed to the angry face.
Luna shook her head. “No! Angry feels like stomping and shouting. Fuzzy is…quieter.” She picked up the surprised face. “Hmm…not surprised either. Surprised is like ‘Wow!’ Fuzzy is more…inside.”
Then, Luna looked at all the emojis together. She thought for a moment. “Maybe…maybe fuzzy is a little bit of everything!” she exclaimed. “A little sad because I miss playing, a little surprised because tomorrow is a new day, and a little quiet because I’m sleepy.”
Mom hugged Luna tight. “That’s a very clever way to describe your feelings! It’s okay to feel lots of things at once. And it’s good to *name* your feelings, so you understand them better.”
Luna snuggled with all her emoji friends. She realized that even though fuzzy was a new feeling, it wasn’t scary. It just *was*. And knowing what it felt like made it a little bit easier. She gave each emoji a little squeeze. “Thank you for helping me,” she whispered.
“Now,” said Mom, turning off the light, “close your eyes and think about all the happy, sad, angry, surprised, and even fuzzy feelings you felt today. They all make you, *you*.” Luna closed her eyes, a small smile on her face. She drifted off to sleep, dreaming of colorful emojis and all the feelings in the world.