Stone Soup Magazine
— A girl hides in her favorite tree before a dreaded doctor's visit, finding solace in the branches and sharing a poem that no one else appreciated.
— A fourth-grader arrives at school excited to perform in a play, only to learn his beloved science teacher has died. He finds solace feeding the classroom lizards one last time.
— After his grandfather's death, a boy inherits a lucky penny passed down through generations, only to have bullies steal and throw it in a lake.
— When her best friend moves away, a girl who loves marine biology finds unexpected comfort in yellow daffodils floating in the ocean.
— A magnificent buck stands guard at forest's edge, sensing danger, then battles a hungry cougar to protect the sleeping does and fawns.
— Two girls meet at a mountain overlook on Anne's last day before moving to California, sharing a moment of understanding about their respective losses and transitions.
— A young boy in 1950s Chicago waits for Christmas morning when a reindeer mysteriously enters his bedroom, leaving him with a magical encounter he'll never forget.
— A nervous rider and her pony overcome a disastrous warm-up to deliver a near-perfect show jumping round, discovering their hidden connection in the process.
— A young opera-goer finds transcendence not in the spectacle but in the music itself, which becomes a force that balances and sustains her between performances.
— A winter morning at a lake where steam rises, ducks linger, and observers choose traffic over stillness, missing the quiet moment.