They were running late – as usual. But luckily, as they stumbled in, the teacher had just called her name. See, it was the very first day of “big cub” school or grade one for our cheeky protagonist: Luna. As her mother gave her a kiss goodbye, young Luna looked up at her with desperate wide eyes – silently pleading with the one who claimed to love her the most not to leave her with these…animals.

But her mom left anyway.

So she took a calming breath and turned to face the pack. As she surveyed the scene, little Luna couldn’t help but feel unimpressed at the zoo of animals presented before her: some big ones, some small ones, some chubby ones as well as some snotty ones and all of them were unbelievably loud! So, resigned to her fate she chose a random spot to claim as hers – sighing inwardly at what she knew would be a long day.

Surprisingly, the day actually went by quite fast. In fact, by the end of the school day she had learned how to count up to ten, become “best friends” with a petite blue-eyed cub and had even earned herself a gold star (otherwise known as the achievement of her life)! But come twelve pm although the school day was over, Luna still had one more activity: the “bah-lay klas” – well, at least that was what her mother had called it.

Luna changed into a pink “leeyotard” and tutu for this strange “bah-lay klas” and met both her mother and father outside of the bathroom. They weren’t together anymore, but this was a momentous occasion and they decided to enter it as a family. As Luna’s father opened the door, she felt a wave of panic set in. And it grew as she saw what seemed to her like beautiful gazelles prancing about in a magical forest to the most beautiful music. They were all so beautiful – so unlike the rowdy bunch that she had just spent the last few hours with. Suddenly, the tall one (or the leader) stopped, smiled and with the grace of a queen beckoned little Luna towards her – inviting the young girl to be a part of this magic.

With a last tentative glance at her encouraging parents, Luna mustered all the courage that she could and walked over to the group. And just like that, as she became a part of the herd of stunning gazelle-like dancers, she knew that she had found her place.

She knew that she belonged:

For we all have our place in the world and for Luna,at that moment in time, she had found hers…