Are you ready to meditate with Kori?
Lie down in your bed.
Get snuggly and warm inside of your covers.
Dim the lights so it's nice and comfortable in your room.
If you want to,
Maybe you could have a nice relaxing diffuser with lavender in it or something that smells relaxing and calming.
Or maybe put some oil on your pillow so you can smell it while you breathe deep.
Take a nice big deep breath and breathe in through your nose.
Breathe out through your nose or your mouth and start to relax your body.
This is exactly what Stephen was doing.
Stephen was laid in bed.
His mum was telling him a story.
He got lavender oil on his pillow.
He had his night light on that was shining star shapes on the ceiling.
He had his comfortable pyjamas on so he was all relaxed and snuggly in bed.
His mum was talking about cookies.
It was a story about cookies.
You know,
His mum said,
There's double double dark chocolate chip.
They're really dark and smooth and rich with flavour.
And then there's white chocolate chip cookies which are creamy and completely different.
You can get really big,
Fat,
Heavy,
Chunky nut cookies.
And they're filling,
Big in your hand.
Very satisfying,
His mum said.
And then there's mint things which are very,
Very thin and crispy.
Hmm,
What else?
She said,
Ooh,
You can get lemon frost cookies.
Or you could get red velvet cookies.
They're delicious.
Or maybe even cinnamon sugar cookies.
Stephen looked at his mum and said,
We're all just cookies,
Aren't we?
His mum said,
What do you mean?
Well,
Said Stephen,
Think about it.
We're just like cookies.
People.
You know,
We're all just cookies.
His mum said,
Explain what you mean.
Well,
People are all different.
Some people are very,
Very dark and rich.
Some people are creamy and smooth.
Some people are very,
Very big and nutty.
Some people are very thin and crispy.
Some people have been around longer than others.
Like cookies that have been around that are more popular and have been around for years and years and years.
And some people are newer and younger,
Like a brand new cookie.
We're all cookies.
We're all just different.
Different shapes.
Different sizes.
All really good in their own way.
Stephen's mum thought about what he said and then said,
Well,
I think people are a little bit more complex than that,
Stephen.
There's things like nationalities and ethnicities and history that make people who they are and make them more complex.
Stephen said,
No,
Not really,
Mum.
That's just different flavors.
They're all just the same cookie.
Really,
They're all a cookie.
They're just different flavors.
Yes,
But Stephen said,
No,
Think about it.
If you had a selection box of cookies with all different types of cookies inside of the box,
All different shapes,
All different colors,
All different flavors,
But yet they were in the box together,
Creating the perfect mix of assorted cookies.
A box of assorted cookies is just like the earth,
Stephen said.
We're all here on earth,
Different colors,
Different shapes,
Different sizes and different flavors.
That shouldn't make any difference to the fact that we could all be good together.
But instead,
What happens,
Said Stephen.
People want to argue about the differences.
People think that the differences make them either better or worse because of the differences.
People think that the differences make them more separated and they rely on the differences to keep to their own type of cookie.
But think about it,
If the cookies that were just brown cinnamon cookies stayed with all the brown cinnamon cookies,
Then all you'd have is a box of brown cinnamon cookies.
And if the white chocolate chips just stayed with white chocolate chips,
Or the double chocolate dark chips just stayed with the double chocolate dark chips,
Then you would never have an assortment.
You would never have a perfect box of cookies,
All different colors and shapes and sizes.
And most importantly,
All different flavors.
Yet people want to fight about the flavors,
Like their flavors better than someone else's flavor.
Whereas I think,
Mum,
That it's nice to have different flavors.
It keeps life interesting,
Don't you think?
Stephen's Mum had to agree.
She was completely right.
She kissed him goodnight,
Tucked him into bed,
And Stephen fell asleep very quickly.
She went to her room and laid down in bed.
She couldn't sleep.
What Stephen had said was on her mind.
What if the world was that simple?
What if we could all just be good together,
Like the perfect box of cookies,
All enjoying each other's shapes and sizes and flavors,
Instead of comparing the way that we do as people?
I compare,
She thought to herself.
I know others compare.
Why is it that we separate ourselves,
Instead of seeing that we're all good together?
We all come from the same place.
We're all made of similar ingredients.
Why can't we just all be like a box of cookies?
She closed her eyes and tried to deep breathe.
She breathed a nice big deep breath into her heart and imagined in her heart a completely different place.
A completely different world.
A world where things were as simple as what Stephen thought.
A world where everyone saw themselves in each other,
Were kind,
Compassionate,
Admired each other's differences,
And all fit together happily in the same box.
With that thought in mind,
Stephen's mom eventually fell fast asleep,
Dreaming about cookies in a different world.
Who will she wake up in?
You You You You You You You
