HAPPY HABITS
By D. M. Larson
(a short script for two actors - male or female)
(DAWN comes rushing out the front door of a house.
UNCLE FRANCIS is outside working in the garden.
DAWN is screaming at her parents who remain inside the house offstage.
Both characters can be male or female)
UNCLE FRANCIS is outside working in the garden.
DAWN is screaming at her parents who remain inside the house offstage.
Both characters can be male or female)
DAWN: You all hate me! You’re alway fighting me!
You just want to hurt me over and over again.
I’m tired of being your victim. I’m tired of your abuse.
I’m not going to let you do this to me anymore.
You just want to hurt me over and over again.
I’m tired of being your victim. I’m tired of your abuse.
I’m not going to let you do this to me anymore.
FRANCIS: What’s happening? What’s going on? Are you okay?
DAWN: I’m so not okay. I left okay behind a long time ago.
FRANCIS: Please, calm down.
DAWN: Calm? I don’t know what that means anymore.
FRANCIS: Come. Sit.
DAWN: Sit? Give a chair. I want to break it.
FRANCIS: Relax.
(DAWN starts to feel dizzy)
DAWN: Relax?! Relax! Relax.
(DAWN is faint and FRANCIS guides her to a chair)
FRANCIS: There now. Let me see how I can help.
DAWN: There’s no help for the helpless. I’m lost.
I just want to give in to the darkness and let it swallow me whole.
I just want to give in to the darkness and let it swallow me whole.
FRANCIS: But somehow, you still see the light. I see it in your eyes.
DAWN: But it hurts so bad. Everything hurts so very bad.
I want it to end. I want it to be over. When will they stop doing this to me?
I want it to end. I want it to be over. When will they stop doing this to me?
FRANCIS: I don’t know. They may never stop. Your family may never
change. I want them to change. I want things to get better, but the sad
reality is that some people are so lost, they may never find their way.
But you know who is the one person you can change?
change. I want them to change. I want things to get better, but the sad
reality is that some people are so lost, they may never find their way.
But you know who is the one person you can change?
DAWN: Who?
FRANCIS: You.
DAWN: What?!
(DAWN gets up, some anger returning)
FRANCIS: There’s hope in you. There’s love in your heart.
This wouldn’t hurt so much if you didn’t care.
This wouldn’t hurt so much if you didn’t care.
DAWN: You’re saying I care too much?
FRANCIS: That’s what makes you better. That’s what will help you
rise above their hatred: your love.
rise above their hatred: your love.
DAWN: I do love them. That’s why I try to help my family.
Because I care about them. But they always turn it around on me.
Because I care about them. But they always turn it around on me.
FRANCIS: Then turn it back around on them, with love instead
of hatred. Don’t be like them. Be the opposite of them.
of hatred. Don’t be like them. Be the opposite of them.
DAWN: How can I do that?
FRANCIS: First, you have to forgive them.
DAWN: Forgive them? For all the abuse? But they aren’t even sorry.
FRANCIS: You can’t wait for them. You can’t expect them to change
first. They should change. They need to change, but you have
no control over them. They are broken, but the only person you can
fix is you.
first. They should change. They need to change, but you have
no control over them. They are broken, but the only person you can
fix is you.
DAWN: Why am I the one who’s wrong?
FRANCIS: It’s not about who is right and who is wrong.
It’s about making things better.
It’s about making things better.
DAWN: I feel so powerless.
FRANCIS: It might not feel like it now, but there is still some hope in you…
a small ray of light that burns within. That light fires your anger,
but that light can also warm your heart.
a small ray of light that burns within. That light fires your anger,
but that light can also warm your heart.
DAWN: How is that possible?
FRANCIS: There is so much power in you. Power that can be
used to hurt or to heal.
used to hurt or to heal.
DAWN: I want to hurt them... hurt them like they hurt me.
FRANCIS: Then the hurt will live on and repeat and become a
never ending cycle.
never ending cycle.
DAWN: Then how do I stop it?
FRANCIS: With love.
DAWN: I don’t think I can anymore. And if I do love them,
they’ll just hurt me again.
they’ll just hurt me again.
FRANCIS: You want to find love for your future. When you
begin your own life, on your own, you want to have love to share
in a new home you might have one day.
begin your own life, on your own, you want to have love to share
in a new home you might have one day.
DAWN: I know I don’t want this anymore. I can’t live like this.
FRANCIS: That’s why you need to slowly replace the hatred.
Find little bits of love inside you.
Find little bits of love inside you.
DAWN: How do I do that?
FRANCIS: One way is to find things that make you happy.
Seek out joy each day and let those happy moments grow
in your heart.
Seek out joy each day and let those happy moments grow
in your heart.
DAWN: Do you do that?
FRANCIS: I do. And it is amazing how little things make a difference.
Like holding the door open for someone at the store. Or making a
small donation to a charity. Or leaving a nice tip at a restaurant
where you get really good service. Or picking up trash. Or recycling.
Like holding the door open for someone at the store. Or making a
small donation to a charity. Or leaving a nice tip at a restaurant
where you get really good service. Or picking up trash. Or recycling.
(DAWN grins a little)
DAWN: Wow, a lot of things make you happy.
FRANCIS: Yes, all those little things do make me feel good.
So I do them again. And pretty soon those become happy habits.
So I do them again. And pretty soon those become happy habits.
DAWN: Happy habits? That really works?
FRANCIS: It seems to.
DAWN: You do seem happier than the rest of us.
FRANCIS: I try.
DAWN: You do a good job. Thank you.
(DAWN hugs FRANCIS)
FRANCIS: You’re welcome. You want to help me put away all
these gardening tools? And then we can go to that ice cream place
where they mix in all those fun toppings and make all those weird
combinations. And when you tip them, they get very excited and
start doing fancy tricks like trying to flip the ice cream into the cones.
these gardening tools? And then we can go to that ice cream place
where they mix in all those fun toppings and make all those weird
combinations. And when you tip them, they get very excited and
start doing fancy tricks like trying to flip the ice cream into the cones.
(DAWN laughs)
DAWN: Sure. Might as well start some of those happy habits today.
FRANCIS: Excellent. Let’s go.
END OF SCENE
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“All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.”
― St. Francis Of Assisi
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