The eagle scout

Lila was a curious little girl with a wild imagination and a heart full of dreams. Ever since she saw a group of scouts march through her town square, wearing their badges and singing songs, she wanted nothing more than to become one of them.

But there was one problem-Lila was shy. Really shy. She got nervous just saying "hello" to new people, let alone camping in the woods or speaking up in a group.

Still, Lila didn't give up. She read every book she could find about scouting, practiced tying knots with shoelaces, and built tiny tents for her dolls in the backyard. One day, she finally found the courage to ask her parents if she could join the local scout troop.

On her first day, her hands were shaking, and she almost turned around. But then, she remembered her favorite scout motto from a book: "Brave doesn't mean not being scared-it means doing it anyway." So she took a deep breath and stepped inside the scout hall.

Lila's journey wasn't easy. She got lost during a trail walk, spilled her marshmallows in the fire, and even cried a little when she couldn't build a shelter right. But every time, she stood back up, learned from it, and smiled a little wider.

By the end of the year, Lila had earned her very first badge: Courage.

And from that day on, she wasn't just dreaming of being a scout-she was one.