Grace's Dance and The Broken Vase

Grace's Dance and The Broken Vase

by

Patches the Story Dog

Patches the Story Dog

A story about How to Say Sorry

for your 2nd Grader

2nd Grader How to Say Sorry

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Grace, a loving baby girl, twirls joyfully with her arms stretched wide on a shiny wooden floor in a bright and colorful living room filled with soft pillows and a big sunny window where golden light streams in. In the background, soft colorful pillows are scattered on a couch near a big sunny window with golden light streaming in.

Grace loved to dance. She danced in the morning when the sun came up. She danced in the afternoon when her favorite songs played. She even danced at night in her pajamas, wiggling her toes on the cool bathroom tiles. If there was a floor, Grace was dancing on it.

Grace, a loving baby girl, slides across the shiny wooden floor with one arm raised high, bathed in golden light from the big sunny window, her shadow stretching long across the floor. In the background, a bright and colorful living room with soft pillows on the couch and warm golden light filling the space.

Her very favorite place to dance was the living room, where the shiny wooden floor was smooth and perfect for sliding and spinning. Golden light poured through the big sunny window and made everything glow. Grace would pretend the sunbeams were spotlights, and she was the star of the greatest show on earth.

A beautiful clear glass vase on a kitchen table holds a bouquet of colorful paper flowers — red, purple, yellow, and blue — with carefully folded petals and green pipe-cleaner stems, lit by warm golden light. In the background, a kitchen with warm light and the edge of the bright and colorful living room visible through a doorway.

Near the living room, on the kitchen table, sat something very special. It was a beautiful vase filled with paper flowers that Grace's older brother had made at school. The flowers were all different colors — red, purple, yellow, and blue — with carefully folded petals and green pipe-cleaner stems. He had worked on them for a whole week, and he was so proud of every single one.

Grace, a loving baby girl, spins wildly with her arms stretched wide and one foot lifted, her hair flying, on the shiny wooden floor near the kitchen table that holds a beautiful clear glass vase of colorful paper flowers. In the background, the big sunny window with golden light streaming in and soft colorful pillows on the couch.

One sunny afternoon, Grace decided she was going to do her biggest spin EVER. She stretched her arms out wide. She lifted one foot off the shiny wooden floor. She took a deep breath and — WHIRRRRRL! Grace spun like a top, faster and faster, her feet sliding across the smooth floor. "Look at meeeee!" she squealed. But Grace was spinning so fast that she couldn't see where she was going.

A beautiful clear glass vase lies tipped on its side on the shiny wooden floor, surrounded by crumpled and torn colorful paper flowers — red, purple, yellow, and blue — with bent green pipe-cleaner stems scattered everywhere. In the background, the kitchen table with a visible scuff and the edge of the bright and colorful living room.

CRASH! Grace bumped right into the kitchen table. The beautiful vase tipped over and rolled off the edge. Paper flowers flew everywhere! Red, purple, yellow, and blue petals crumpled and tore as they scattered across the floor. Green pipe-cleaner stems bent into tangled zigzags. Grace stood very still, her eyes wide. Her brother's special flowers were ruined.

Grace, a loving baby girl, crouches on the shiny wooden floor with a worried expression, holding crumpled colorful paper flowers in her small shaking hands, glancing sideways nervously. In the background, a fluffy cat naps on a soft colorful pillow on the couch near the big sunny window.

Grace's tummy felt tight and twisty. She looked at the mess and then at the family cat, who was napping on a soft pillow nearby. "Maybe I could say the cat did it," Grace whispered to herself. "Or maybe I could pick them up really fast and no one would ever know." She started to shove the torn flowers behind the couch, but her hands were shaking. Hiding it didn't feel right at all.

Grace, a loving baby girl, sits on the shiny wooden floor with a wobbling lip and teary eyes, surrounded by torn colorful paper flowers — red, purple, yellow, and blue — with bent green pipe-cleaner stems. In the background, the kitchen table and the bright and colorful living room with golden light from the big sunny window.

Just then, Mama walked in and saw the torn paper flowers on the floor. She didn't yell. She didn't even look angry. She sat down on the shiny wooden floor right next to Grace and said softly, "It looks like something happened here. Do you want to tell me about it?" Grace's lip wobbled. "I was spinning and I crashed into the table," she said in a tiny voice. "I broke the flowers. I thought about saying the cat did it." Mama smiled gently. "I'm glad you told me the truth, sweet girl. That was very brave."

A hand holding up three fingers, with a crumpled purple paper flower with a bent green pipe-cleaner stem resting on the shiny wooden floor below. In the background, warm golden light from the big sunny window fills the bright and colorful living room.

"But Mama, what do I do now?" Grace asked, picking up a crumpled purple flower. "Your brother is going to be sad," Mama said honestly. "But a real sorry can help a lot. A real sorry has three parts." She held up three fingers. "First, you say what you did — no excuses, no blaming the cat. Second, you tell him how you think he feels, because that shows you care about his heart. And third, you find a way to help make it better. Not just words — but actions too."

Grace, a loving baby girl, stands bravely with her hands clasped together and a nervous but determined expression on her face, taking a deep breath. In the background, the front door of the house is open and golden afternoon light spills into the bright and colorful living room.

Grace practiced in her head while she waited for her brother to come home. Her tummy still felt tight and twisty. When she finally heard the front door open, she wanted to run and hide under her bed. But Mama gave her a little nod, and Grace walked slowly toward her brother. She took the deepest breath of her whole life. "I was dancing and I crashed into the table and knocked over your flowers," Grace said, her voice shaky but clear. "I think you're going to feel really sad because you worked so hard on them. I'm sorry."

Grace, a loving baby girl, holds out her small hand toward a pile of crumpled and torn colorful paper flowers on the shiny wooden floor, with a hopeful and earnest expression on her face. In the background, the kitchen table and the bright and colorful living room with soft pillows on the couch.

Her brother looked at the crumpled flowers on the floor. His face fell, and Grace could see his eyes get shiny. "My flowers," he said quietly. Grace's heart hurt. "I know I can't un-break them," she said. "But can I help you make new ones? I'll be your helper for as long as it takes." Her brother was quiet for a moment. Then he sniffed and said, "Okay. But I get to pick all the colors this time." Grace nodded fast. "Deal."

A beautiful clear glass vase on the kitchen table holds a fresh bouquet of colorful paper flowers — red, purple, yellow, blue, and a few charmingly wobbly ones — with green pipe-cleaner stems, surrounded by scissors and scraps of colored paper. In the background, warm golden light from the big sunny window fills the kitchen and the bright and colorful living room beyond.

They sat together at the kitchen table with scissors, colored paper, and pipe cleaners. Grace's brother showed her how to fold the petals just right, pressing each crease with her fingertip. Grace was careful and slow. Some of her flowers looked a little wobbly, but her brother smiled at them anyway. "That one looks like it's dancing," he said with a laugh. "Just like you." By the time they finished, the vase was full again — and this time, some of the flowers were made by Grace, too.

Grace, a loving baby girl, peeks playfully around a doorway corner with a big smile, one foot lifted mid-dance, on the shiny wooden floor bathed in golden light from the big sunny window. In the background, the kitchen table holds a beautiful clear glass vase full of colorful paper flowers — including a few charmingly wobbly ones — in the bright and colorful living room.

Grace still dances every single day. She spins in the living room, slides across the shiny wooden floor, and wiggles her toes in the golden sunbeams. But now, before her biggest spins, she peeks around corners first and checks for tables and vases and sleeping cats. She knows that no matter how careful she is, she'll probably mess up again someday — everybody does. But that doesn't scare her so much anymore. Because Grace has learned something even better than her biggest spin: she has the courage to make things right.

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