Papa Beaver started screaming  at the top of his lungs! He started hurling insults at Woody. Mama Beaver tried to calm him down and Woody apologized repeatedly, promising never to play with his slingshot again, but nothing could calm him down.  Papa Beaver's anger intensified to such an extent that he completely  destroyed their home.

Following this incident, and several others in the past few months, Mama Beaver decided that it was finally time for Woody and her to leave their home for their safety and well-being.

Tears running down his cheek and feeling very anxious, Woody began walking with so many unanswered questions in mind. Will he see his father again? Is his father still angry with him? Does his mother blame him for moving? What about his friends, will he ever be able to see them again? What disturbs him the most is the feeling that he is responsible for separating his family. Woody feels a great deal of guilt... He genuinely believes that he has destroyed his family. His mind, racing with thoughts, prompted him to cry even louder but stopped completely when he heard a voice calling out to him from afar...

"Hello my friend!" says a frog.

Woody doesn't know where the voice is coming from so he turns his head and sees a frog sitting on a lily pad from a distance. 

"Hello!" replied Woody hesitantly.

"Is there anything I can do to help you? I've heard you crying for a while and I am very saddened by this," said the frog. Woody started explaining to the frog about his new circumstances....

"You know, we all go through difficult situations in our lives sometimes. The important thing is to find a way to deal with your emotions constructively," says the frog. 

"Oh, really? Could you show me how to do that?" 

Woody asked hesitantly.

"Certainly! I am quite an expert with this technique. The secret ingredient is the BREATH. You can control your emotions through breathing. We inhale deeply by counting 1...2...3...4... We take a 4-second pause and then exhale counting backwards 4...3...2...1..." demonstrates the frog with pride.

"Why do you have a ball in your hand?" Woody asks. 

"Oh! Good question! I forgot to mention that I squeeze it tightly in my hand as I exhale. It reminds me to release all of my frustrations and worries. Here you are, give it a try! You will see after a few attempts, the technique helps you calm down," says the wise frog.

Woody was reluctant to try the technique but he obviously needs help managing his emotions. Eyes closed, he starts inhaling 1...2...3...4..., pausing and  then exhaling 4...3...2...1...while squeezing the ball. After a few tries, Woody is quite surprised at how calm he feels.

"You know, you can use this technique whenever you feel your emotions intensifying. You can keep the ball as a gift. It can serve as a reminder of our meeting and hoping you will use it when needed," said the frog.

"Ahhh, thank you!" Woody replied gratefully.

"And remember, this technique will only work to control YOUR emotions, but not those of others. How people react is not your responsibility. If your dad chose to ruin your house, just remember,  it is not your fault!" insists the frog.

Woody continues on his route while thinking of his conversation with the frog. He’s already feeling a little better. Woody is quite grateful for the ball the frog gifted him and practices his breathing exercises while walking. 

Woody begins to think about his new home and wonders if his mother has already arrived to welcome him. He still has a long way to go.  He does not want to worry her.  As soon as he starts to quicken his pace, Woody feels a sharp pain in one of his hands.

"OUTTTTCH!!!" shouts Woody.

"Oh, I am soooo sorry! I was looking for nectar and the colors of your ball caught my eye. I thought it was a flower," sincerely apologizes the bee.

"It's ok!" replied Woody. He took a few deep breaths to calm down. He understands the bee's reasoning and is also relieved that he took the time to breathe beforehand as he was about to squash the bee. Woody realizes that the frog's explanation of controlling your emotions with the breath is already helping him.

Without even noticing it, Woody realizes that he is right in the middle of a field of flowers.   Dozens of bees are foraging from flower to flower. It was truly a beautiful sight to see. The buzzing sounds they made were quite a symphony! 

One of the bees recognized Woody. She had heard from a frog about a beaver saddened to leave his home and especially the guilt he felt. She approached Woody to reassure him about his new home.

"You know your new home at Liberty Lane is going to be great. It makes me think of our beehive," says the bee.

"Ah, really?!? I'm WAY too big to fit into a beehive!" replied Woody.

"No, no...  What I mean is that you'll have your own space like we each have one in our hive. You will be well surrounded like us! It's really comforting, you'll be able to make new friends!"  insists the bee.