My mind isn’t hungry
In a small town where nothing very exciting ever seemed to happen, there lived a boy named Oliver. Oliver was not unhappy, but he had a habit that made his days feel heavier than they needed to be. From the moment he woke up, his mind started talking. “This is going to be a long day.” “I’ll probably forget something.” “People are usually annoying.” “Things never go smoothly for me.” Oliver didn’t even notice these thoughts anymore. They were like background noise, like a radio left on in another room. One afternoon, while walking home from school, he stopped in front of a tiny shop he had never seen before. The sign above the door read: Mrs. Rowan’s Grocery for the Mind . Curious, Oliver stepped inside. There were no shelves of food. Instead, jars, boxes, and baskets filled the room. Each one had a label: “Patience,” “Kind Thoughts,” “Calm Mornings,” “Friendly Expectations,” “Second Chances.” Behind the counter stood an elderly woman with bright eyes and a gentle smile....