“How Siedeh Became Brave,” Friend, January 2023, 10–11
How Siedeh Became Brave
Siedeh was too scared to talk to her classmates.
Siedeh took a big breath and walked into her new classroom. It was her first day in fourth grade.
Last year, Siedeh was in second grade. She did so well that her school let her skip third grade. Siedeh was excited to do harder math problems and read more books in fourth grade. But she wasn’t happy that she would have to leave her old friends.
As she looked around the room, Siedeh felt small. All of her new classmates looked older and taller than she was. What if she didn’t belong?
She chose a desk and sat down. A tall girl sat next to her. “Hi,” Siedeh said.
“What are you doing here?” the girl asked. “I thought you were supposed to be in third grade.”
“The school moved me up a grade,” Siedeh said nervously.
The girl made a mean face. “Well, I don’t care how smart you are. You’re still just a baby.”
Siedeh felt awful inside. For the rest of the week, she was too scared to talk to any of her classmates. Each time she heard someone laughing or whispering, she frowned. They were probably saying mean things about her.
Just when she thought things couldn’t get any worse, Siedeh got a math test back. She wanted to cry when she looked at her score. Math was her favorite subject. She had never scored this low on a test before.
When she got home, Siedeh couldn’t hold back her tears. “I don’t have any friends,” she told her parents. “I don’t belong in fourth grade. I’m not smart enough.”
“I’m sorry it’s so hard,” Siedeh’s mother said. “But you are smart. And you are still learning.”
Siedeh wiped her eyes. “I wish I could go to third grade instead.”
Dad was quiet for a moment. “Would you like a priesthood blessing?” he asked.
Siedeh nodded. Maybe a blessing from Dad would help her feel better.
Siedeh sat on a chair, and Dad put his hands on her head.
“I bless you that you will not be afraid,” Dad said. “And I bless you to love your new classmates. As they get to know you, they will love you too.”
A calm feeling spread through Siedeh. She felt that her dad’s words were what Heavenly Father wanted her to hear.
After the blessing, Mama helped Siedeh work on her math problems. Soon Siedeh was feeling a bit better.
The next day at school, Siedeh remembered her blessing and tried to be brave. She smiled at her classmates. When she showed love, she felt less afraid of them! Some of them were even really nice. She worked hard to learn, and soon her grades improved too.
By the end of the school year, Siedeh had many friends. She was glad Heavenly Father had helped her be brave. And she was grateful she could always have the blessing of priesthood power to help her.
Illustrations by Susan Keeter