The Little Owl That Could!
Oli The Owl Gives Children the Courage to Celebrate Their Special Gifts
About Oli
Most children in a behavioral health program are a bit scared and overwhelmed. Those receiving our services, for instance, might not understand why they feel depressed and angry, and they might find it hard to express their feelings. Parents and caregivers, too, often feel isolated and alone and they are at a loss for how to help.
Oli the Owl can change all that!
Oli the Owl, and his story of grit and perseverance, is a tool at our clients’ disposal to help connect with and inspire our young patients (and their families!). Oli is a soft, huggable friend that can accompany them to sessions and to their doctor’s appointments. He is their buddy who knows how hard it is to struggle, but also how wonderful it is to succeed!
Here’s Oli’s story!
Oli the Owl might be so small that he can fit in your hand, but he is as brave and as wise as the mightiest of forest creatures!!
But Oli wasn’t always so fearless and clever. His life, you see, started out a bit different than some of the other owls. Oli was born in the big forest and he lived with his Grammie Owl in a tall tree. And although the nest was comfy and cozy and although he loved his Grammie ever so much, he was a scared and timid bird. He never felt like he fit in with the other owls and that made him sad.
The Big World felt frightening to Oli. He didn’t have many friends and he didn’t play with the other owlets because he sometimes couldn’t do the same things they could do. The other owls made fun of him, teased him, and made him feel very unsafe. He watched them and wondered why he wasn’t as joyful and lighthearted as they were. Everything seemed to be so hard for Oli.
But then one day Oli’s Grammie took him to a special place where some special friends helped him with some of the things that were giving him trouble. At first, it was hard to open up and talk to them, but pretty soon he realized that talking made things better. They were kind and listened really well. He felt that they understood him; they didn’t make him feel strange or weird…in fact, they made him feel SPECIAL!! He learned A LOT from talking and learned that he wasn’t alone, and that yes, sometimes life was hard, but that he was strong and capable. He learned that because he had done hard things before, he could do them again. He learned that just because sometimes life was scary and felt impossible, it didn’t mean that he couldn’t be happy. He learned that he was brave!
It didn’t take long until Oli was a happy owl! He even made some buddies along the way, other owlets that maybe were a bit different than your average owl, but fun even so.
Oli might not be like other owls, but he can SOAR as high as his dreams would take him!
