Once upon a time there was a mother. This mother lived in a sometimes magical and sometimes messy world. Her boys would sometimes play together very well. Other times her boys would call eachother names and hurt eachother.
This mother wondered why brothers who loved eachother would sometimes call each other names and hurt eachother. Through observing and listening to these arguements, she noticed that it was often hard for her boys to tell the difference between anger and hurt.
She started helping them see the difference, but then she saw that it was hard for them to process their hurt.
The mother made a connection. She noticed that it was hard for adult men to express hurt. She knew that a high percentage of men today report feeling lonely. The connection was this: their difficulty in expressing themselves honestly without anger, humor, or over performance makes it hard for them to create rich relationships.
The mother wanted to do something.
Through experience, this mother knew the importance of rich relationships and the joy they bring. She was fortunate enough to have learned many relational skills herself.
She wanted her sons learning skills that could support them in developing these rich relationships too - with eachother and with others they would meet along the way.
Perhaps, if she succeeded, her own sons wouldn't have to grapple with loneliness as a constant companion. Perhaps, her sons could then become the kind of men that enjoy rich relationships and deep support in the future.
Learning to identify and process hurt is one of the first steps.
So, The Boy with the Blue Backpack is this mother's first book; a way to teach boys relational skills through fiction.
Join "The Boy" as he gets sucked into his backpack for an adventure he wasn't expecting.