Finn was a boy made of "fast." He had fast feet for racing, fast ears for hearing the lunch bell, and fast hands for building the tallest towers in the second grade. He loved his school, the Oakwood Academy, but sometimes his "fast" got him into trouble. When Finn felt a big emotion, his hands didn't wait for his brain to catch up.
On Tuesday, Finn was working with his best friend, Amity. They were building a castle out of wooden blocks. It had three towers and a drawbridge. "It’s perfect," Amity whispered, carefully balancing a triangular roof on the very top. Finn nodded, his hands hovering near the blocks, ready to add more.
Just as the castle was finished, a boy named Leo came running by. He wasn't looking where he was going. *CRASH!* Leo’s foot caught the corner of the rug, and the magnificent wooden castle tumbled into a heap of messy sticks. All of Finn’s hard work was gone in a second.
Before Finn could think, his "fast hands" moved. He didn't use them to build or to wave. He used them to hit. He swung his hand and struck Leo’s arm. "You ruined it!" Finn yelled. Leo’s face crumpled, and he began to cry. The classroom went very quiet.
Their teacher, Ms. Meadow, walked over. She didn't yell, but her face was serious. She asked Finn to go to the "Quiet Corner" to sit for a moment. Finn sat on the soft green cushion, feeling his heart thumping like a drum. He felt hot and shaky. He felt bad that the tower was broken, but he felt even worse that he had hurt Leo.
Ms. Meadow came over and sat on a small chair next to him. "Finn," she said softly, "it’s okay to be angry because your tower fell. But it is never okay to use your hands to hurt someone. Our hands are for helping, not for hitting." Finn looked at his hands. They felt heavy now, not fast.
Ms. Meadow taught Finn a secret. "When you feel that 'fast' heat in your hands, you have to find your 'Brave Breathe.' Close your eyes, lock your fingers together like a sturdy bridge, and take three slow breaths. This gives your brain time to catch up to your hands." Finn tried it. He locked his fingers tight and breathed in... and out.
The next day, Finn was outside playing ball with Amity. It was a high-stakes game of catch. Suddenly, a stray ball from another game flew over and knocked Finn’s ball right out of the air. He felt that familiar heat rising in his chest. His hands started to twitch, wanting to find someone to push.
But Finn remembered the secret. He didn't move toward the other kids. Instead, he stood very still. He locked his fingers together—*snap!*—and took a deep, shaky breath. One. Two. Three. The "fast" feeling started to fade. He looked at Amity and said, "I'm really frustrated, but I'm okay."
Finn walked over to Leo, who was playing nearby. "I'm sorry I hit you yesterday, Leo," Finn said. "I was mad about the blocks, but I shouldn't have used my hands that way." Leo smiled and handed Finn a block. "It’s okay. Want to help me build a garage for these cars?" Finn smiled back. His hands were ready to build something even better.
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