In an effort to address her obsession with worrying about people, ten-year-old Trina decides to invent an object she calls the Thing. Whenever Trina starts becoming overly concerned about someone, she opens the top of her magical box, peeks inside, and hopes that everything she sees will make her feel all right.
But one night, everything is not all right. While looking in the Thing, Trina sees her older sister involved in a deadly car crash. Suddenly, Trina is left trying to make sense of events that are difficult for her to understand: her sister s death, her alcoholic father, her overworked mother, and her relationship with a God that would let bad things happen to good people. The tragedy that befalls her family teaches Trina how to survive disappointment and loss with humor, love, and a belief in second chances."