Managing the uncontrollable changes we all experience in life is fundamentally human. And yet, it can also be the greatest source of anxiety for adults and children alike. This past May, Skinner House Books published Wind, Stop Blowing!, a children’s book by Laura Alary, with illustrations by Sue Teodoro, to help the young children in our life accept and embrace change.

As kids head back to school over the next few weeks, In Good Faith asked author Alary for a reflection on the origins of Wind, Stop Blowing! and what it means at this pivotal moment in a child’s life. Alary is an award-winning children’s author who writes stories “that make us bigger on the inside.” In addition to Wind, Stop Blowing!, Skinner House Books also published Alary’s Mira and the Big Story. You can learn more about her at Alary’s website.

Back to School

When I was a child, I looked forward to September. Back-to-school meant cooler weather, a fresh box of crayons, and maybe even a new outfit. But it also meant change: unfamiliar classrooms, teachers, expectations, and routines. I recall waking up one night in a panic, convinced that I had forgotten how to add and subtract. For my own children, the transition was even harder. Their school had multiple classes for every grade, and they never knew in advance where they would be placed. The first few weeks were often chaotic as students were shuffled around to balance class sizes. Social networks shifted like a kaleidoscope. Every day brought change beyond their control. In its wake came jitters, bad dreams, and lots of tears.

“Wind, Stop Blowing!”

Benjamin Snooks, the main character in Wind, Stop Blowing! is an anxious man. From his earliest days he feels tormented by the wind—an intrusive presence that makes a mess, spoils his plans, and carries away important things. He commands it to stop blowing, but the wind is beyond his control. So Benjamin does the only thing he can think of: he tries to run away and hide. But his comical efforts to escape from the wind only make his own life smaller until he has boxed himself into a dark and lonely room.

It was a blustery autumn day many years ago when Benjamin first popped into my imagination. My son and I were at the park and a rogue gust of wind destroyed the leaf pile he had been carefully building. In the face of this unexpected loss, my son raised his face to the sky and howled, “Wind, stop blowing!” Both hilarious and heart-rending, that moment embodied our human fear of change, and the futility of trying to control what is beyond our reach.

Learning from Benjamin

As the story took shape over the years, my kids and I sometimes referred to it as we talked through their own losses, disappointments and worries. We sympathized with Benjamin but also laughed at and learned from his mistakes.

Yes, it was sad that your leaf pile was ruined. But do you really think the wind did it on purpose to upset you?

Yes, it was disappointing that play day was rained out. But do you suppose that rain came to spoil your day? I wonder what else it was doing? Is there any way we could play with the rain?

Yes, it’s hard not to know whose class you’ll be in. But will staying home make it better? Think of everything you’d miss!

Yes, the news yesterday was scary. But the world is still beautiful and has good people in it. Find things that delight you. Go outside. Play with your friends.

Go Fly a Kite!

For Benjamin, freedom comes through play. While he sees the wind as an enemy to be avoided, he is stuck. But when he dares to go fly a kite he discovers a better way. Playing outside in the company of friends shows Benjamin the wind is something he can live with. In fact, its lively presence can be fun—much better than being shut up in his lonely cabin.

A child (or parent) feeling jitters about the changes and unknowns of back-to-school may relate to Benjamin and his desire to hide from what he can’t control. It might help to acknowledge that change is scary, but that running from it often makes things worse and causes us to miss out on what we might enjoy.

Wind, Stop Blowing! gently calls the anxious child to come and play.