Lila & The Ocean Song

Lila walked tip-toe, tip-toe across the soft, warm sand. The sun was shining like a big yellow smile in the sky. Lila loved the beach. It was her favorite place to be quiet and still.

She found a perfect spot near the water and sat down. Crinkle, crinkle went the sand as she wiggled her toes into it. "Hello, Ocean," whispered Lila. The ocean waved back with a sparkle of blue.

Lila was feeling a little bouncy inside. Her thoughts were hopping around like popcorn. Pop, pop, pop! She wanted to feel calm, just like the big, blue sea. "Let's take a deep breath," she told herself.

She closed her eyes and listened. Swish... Swoosh... The waves were singing a lullaby. They came in… and they went out. In… and out. It sounded like the ocean was breathing, too.

"I can breathe like the ocean," Lila thought. She waited for a wave to come in. Swish! She took a big breath in through her nose. Her tummy filled up like a round balloon.

Then, the wave rolled back out to the deep water. Swoosh! Lila let her breath out through her mouth. Hhhhhhh. Her tummy went flat again. In like the tide... and out like the tide.

The ocean rocked back and forth, like a giant, watery cradle. Rocking up, rocking back. Lila rocked a little bit, too. She felt her shoulders drop down. She felt her eyebrows smooth out.

A little seagull landed nearby. Peep, peep! It watched Lila breathing. Lila smiled, but she stayed very still. She was busy being an ocean wave. In... Swish... and Out... Swoosh.

The bouncy popcorn feeling in her head stopped popping. Now, her mind felt as clear and smooth as the blue water. She felt soft and cozy inside, like she was wrapped in a warm towel.

Lila opened her eyes. The world looked bright and peaceful. "Thank you, Ocean," she whispered. She put her hand on her heart. She could still feel the slow rhythm—thump-thump, thump-thump—calm and steady.

Lila stood up and brushed the sand from her legs. It was time to go home. But she knew a secret now. Whenever she felt bouncy or busy, she could just close her eyes and find the ocean song right inside her own breath...