Rusty’s Collection of Special Things : Journey of self-discovery

In Whispering Woods, the young animals were buzzing with excitement. Teacher Olly had just announced a very special project.

“Next week,” hooted Teacher Olly, adjusting his glasses, “each of you will share something that represents who you truly are. This is called your ‘authenticity project.'”

Rusty the red fox raised his paw. “What does ‘authenticity’ mean, Teacher Olly?”

“Excellent question, Rusty,” nodded Teacher Olly. “Being authentic means being true to who you really are—not who others expect you to be. It’s about creating yourself based on what you truly value.“

The woodland classroom filled with excitement and confusion.

“But how do we know who we really are?” asked Snowy the white fox, her voice soft.

Teacher Olly’s eyes twinkled. “That’s the wonderful journey we’re about to begin! Tonight, I want each of you to gather five things that you love—things that make your heart happy. Tomorrow, we’ll learn what these special things might tell us about ourselves.”

That afternoon, Rusty bounded home, his mind spinning with possibilities. What did he truly love? What made his heart happy?

He began searching his den, picking up and putting down various items. His favorite shiny rock? His fastest spinning top? The soft blanket his mother had made?

Rusty was so lost in thought that he didn’t hear a gentle knock at his door.

“Rusty? Are you home?” It was Harry Hedgehog.

“Come in, Harry! I’m trying to decide what to bring tomorrow,” Rusty called.

Harry shuffled in, looking worried. “I’m having trouble too. Everyone expects hedgehogs to be quiet and careful. But I like playing drums on acorn caps and rolling down hills! If I bring those things, will everyone laugh at me?”

Rusty considered this. “You know, Harry, those things sound exactly like you. Not like what others think a hedgehog should be, but like who YOU really are.”

Harry’s spines perked up a bit. “You think so?”

“Definitely!” Rusty grinned. “Teacher Olly didn’t say bring things that foxes would like or hedgehogs would like. He said bring things that YOU like!”

After Harry left, Rusty returned to his search with new understanding. He wasn’t looking for things a typical fox should love. He was looking for things that made Rusty—just Rusty—happy.

By bedtime, Rusty had gathered his five items in a small basket.

The next day at school, Teacher Olly began by placing a stump in the center of the classroom.

“Who would like to share first?” he asked.

Snowy timidly raised her paw and placed her items on the stump: a book of poems, a delicate paintbrush, a pressed violet flower, a smooth river stone, and a small flute.

“These are beautiful things, Snowy,” said Teacher Olly. “What do they tell you about yourself?”

Snowy thought for a moment. “I guess I love quiet things, beautiful things, and making music that’s soft like the wind.”

Teacher Olly nodded. “And does that feel like the real you?”

Snowy’s eyes brightened. “Yes! But everyone always thinks white foxes should be bold and loud because our fur stands out so much. I’ve always tried to be louder than I wanted to be.”

“That’s an important discovery,” said Teacher Olly. “You’re learning that the real Snowy loves gentle beauty, regardless of what others expect from white foxes.”

Next, Harry bravely placed his items on the stump: his acorn cap drums, a sketch of hills for rolling down, a collection of bright feathers, a jumping rope, and a jar of honey.

“These things make me happy,” Harry explained. “I know hedgehogs are supposed to be quiet and careful, but I love making noise and having adventures!”

“Wonderful, Harry!” Teacher Olly exclaimed. “You’re discovering that you can write your own story about what a hedgehog can be.”

When it was Rusty’s turn, he carefully arranged his five treasures: a magnifying glass, a journal filled with questions, a map he’d drawn of the woods, a rock collection organized by type, and a puzzle box that required solving.

The class looked surprised.

“Rusty,” said Bobby Badger, “where are your running shoes? Everyone knows you’re the fastest fox in school.”

“And what about your joke book?” added Molly Mouse. “You’re always making everyone laugh.”

Rusty’s ears twitched nervously. “Well… I do like running and jokes. But these things make me really, really happy too. I love exploring and figuring things out and asking questions. Is that… okay?”

Teacher Olly’s eyes were kind. “More than okay, Rusty. What you’re discovering is that you are not just what others see. You are creating yourself by recognizing what truly matters to you.“

After everyone had shared, Teacher Olly gathered the class in a circle.

“Friends,” he said, “what you’ve begun today is a lifelong adventure. Being authentic isn’t about finding a self that was waiting to be discovered. It’s about creating yourself by paying attention to what you truly value.“

“Like writing our own story?” asked Rusty.

“Exactly!” Teacher Olly nodded. “You are the author of your own life. When you choose to be true to what you love—even if it surprises others—that’s when your life carries your unique signature.“

Over the next weeks, something wonderful happened in Whispering Woods. Snowy started a poetry club and played her flute by the river without worrying about being “too quiet.” Harry proudly drummed his acorn caps and organized rolling contests down Clover Hill.

And Rusty? He still ran races and told jokes, but he also started an Explorers Club, where woodland creatures could share discoveries and solve mysteries together.

One afternoon, Teacher Olly found Rusty carefully examining a strange new flower with his magnifying glass.

“Rusty,” said Teacher Olly, “I’ve noticed a change in you since our authenticity project.”

Rusty looked up. “I feel different, Teacher Olly. Happier. Like I’m becoming more… me.”

Teacher Olly smiled. “That’s because you’re not trying to fit into someone else’s story about what a fox should be. You’re writing your own story.”

“And the best part,” Rusty added with a grin, “is that my story isn’t finished! I get to keep creating it every day!”

“That,” hooted Teacher Olly with a twinkle in his eye, “is exactly what makes life an adventure worth living.”

As the sun set over Whispering Woods, Rusty added a sketch of the new flower to his journal, his heart full of excitement about who he was becoming and all the chapters of his story yet to be written.

The story ends. Your turn now! What are some things that make you super excited? And what do they say about you?