Be the model that propels our kids to be strong, courageous, kind, and never back down on their morals and beliefs. We have one chance in life. Let’s all be Tulips in the wild.

#BeATulip

For the full synopsis, click here. Read a snippet of the story below.

For a storytime reading of the first few pages of the story, click the video.

For a listing of biblical themes included in the tale, click here. 

 

Her name was Tulipia. She lived in the Jade Oasis, a forest of tangled vines, weeds and shrubs. Tulipia was an only tulip. Orphaned at a young age, she lost her parents after they’d been extracted from the Oasis. Tall and lean, she soared over many of her nemeses.

Nemeses, you ask?

Most of the foliage around Tulipia was jealous of her beauty, height and intelligence. Smarter than her rivals, Tulipia predicted the weather, hummed many tunes and had the prettiest, smoothest pink petals.

Though one wouldn’t know by looking at her, Tulipia suffered from loneliness. None of the other greenery spoke to her or wanted to be her friend. Envy, animosity, or just plain hate, Tulipia couldn’t tell you; as she was often talked about behind her back, pranked on, and never given her proper share of nutrients from the soil.

To overcome her anxiety, she created fairy tales in her mind, dreaming of fields of pink and purple tulips—cousins and distant family dancing in the afternoon light. Regardless of these trials, the sun always shone upon her, the moon smiled at her, and the stars twinkled for her.

Being an only tulip is not always bad. Her mother, Temple, said she was a miracle seed born out of the love shared with her husband, Titan.

Tulipia was showered with affection, educated on various topics taught only to exotic flowers and trained to do the right thing for others: like offering coverage to rodents when it rained and giving nectar to bees and butterflies that stopped by to rest on her beautiful petals.

When she was sprouting, her father said God blessed her with a special ability to flourish anywhere. Despite how lucky she’d been, Tulipia still felt unaccepted in her surroundings.

The day her parents were ripped from the ground, Tulipia was miraculously spared by a mere few inches. Not knowing why, she believed in her heart that she must persevere and carry on. It is what her mother and father would have wanted her to do.

With that revelation, Tulipia dug her roots deeper, grew and grew, relying not on food alone, but by living out her parents’ wisdom.

She felt in her heart that goodness would come one day, and so she continued to blossom even amongst her enemies.

To be continued…

Copyright © Chiara Talluto