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Feeling Your Feelings: A Heartfelt Story of Processing Emotions
- Jessicah Walker Herche, PhD, HSPP
- 10 hours ago
- 3 min read
There once was a young boy who couldn’t fall asleep after hearing the story of Charlotte’s Web. He missed Wilbur the pig and was certain Wilbur missed him, too. Tears streamed down his cheeks as his mother placed a hand over his heart and said softly, “You have much sadness.”
He turned on his side, hoping for sleep, but the tears came again. When his mother asked if he’d like to go to the living room, he quickly nodded and slipped out of bed.
Snuggled beside her on the sofa, he began to talk about a song sung to Wilbur, something with the words goodbye for now. Though his mother didn’t know the tune, she offered to make one up. Relief brightened his face as he agreed.
She sang:
Oh Wilbur,
we love you
we miss you, dear friend.
Goodbye for now.
As her voice filled the room, the boy wept. Afterward, he chose a book, and they read together. When the story ended, he asked for the song again, and again he cried while she sang.
Later they walked hand in hand through the quiet neighborhood as dusk settled around them. He pointed out birds, pinecones, and stones. Remembering the kitty he’d lost months ago, he said, “She is in my heart, and your heart, and Daddy’s heart.”
“I think I am feeling better, Mommy,” he said at last.
“What do you think helped?” she asked.
“I think reading a book helped.”
She gently explained that feelings come to be felt and then pass, sometimes returning for another visit. Some feelings settle after reading a book. Sometimes our bodies need to move, which is why a walk can help when we’re carrying a big feeling. And sometimes we simply need to cry. She told him how proud she was of his courage to feel his sadness so deeply.
By the time they returned home, he still missed Wilbur but was ready for bed. He drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep.
The next morning, he woke smiling, humming the song his mother had created:
Oh Wilbur,
we love you
we miss you, dear friend.
Goodbye for now.
May we all feel our feelings without fear. May we all be held as we honor the depth and breadth of human emotion.
If this story resonates, you may also enjoy Ally or Adversary? Changing Your Relationship With Anxiety, where we explore what can happen when we approach uncomfortable internal experiences with curiosity rather than trying to make them disappear.
Making Space for What You Feel
Learning to make room for our emotions can be difficult, especially if we’ve spent years trying to manage, minimize, or move quickly past them. Therapy can offer a place to slow down, understand what you’re feeling, and develop a different relationship with your emotional experience.
At Cadence Psychology Studio, we support adults who want greater emotional clarity, healthier relationships, and more sustainable ways of moving through life’s challenges. We offer in-person therapy in Fishers, Indiana, and online therapy throughout Indiana and PSYPACT-participating states.
Text us at (317) 747-0574 to schedule your first session, or use our online scheduler to book a session now.
About the Author
Jessicah Walker Herche, PhD, HSPP, is a counseling psychologist and founder of Cadence Psychology Studio, a therapy practice in Indiana. She specializes in working with high-achieving adults and couples to navigate trauma, anxiety, and relationship challenges, offering care that is both clinically grounded and deeply relational.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this blog is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional psychological care, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
