In The Giggly Bug, Kira is terrified of creepy crawly things. Her fear robs her of freedom to enjoy her life. It complicates her relationships. It steals her voice, her creativity, her ability to positively impact her world.
Overcoming her fear requires her to sit in its presence long enough to hear what it’s telling her. Once she’s able to befriend it, understand its side of the story, and articulate her new perspective, she’s empowered to invite it home and live with it.
Kira wouldn’t have been able to do any of this alone. By herself, she would have run away from it. Her friends support, participate in, and witness her transformation. Her teacher and her family welcome and celebrate her victory.
The same elements are present for Cally, for Billy, for Laoise, and for Charlie in Facing the Faeries 1906, as each of them must confront the fears hobbling their lives. Each of them in their own way experiences paralysis and significant losses, of voice, relationship, and impact. Like Kira, none of them can do this alone. They have to let others in, and that’s not always easy.
Of course, The Giggly Bug doesn’t tell the whole story. If I write sequels, they might be named “The Grouchy Bug,” when the Giggly Bug reacts against Kira’s possessiveness and she must learn to respect and honor its need for autonomy and agency. And perhaps “The Growly Bug” who can hurt Kira in self-defense if she threatens it. Maybe also “The Greedy Bug” who takes more than its fair share.
Fear can be legitimate. Discerning what we should fear and handling this proactively challenges each of us. It’s a lifelong learning curve. The first step is identifying and naming what we’re afraid of.
So, what’s scary to you?