Right this minute

Singing

Photo courtesy Susan Stark

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The opening of this story was adapted for English language learners from an essay by Lea Redmond called “Say Grace”.  It first appeared on the website, Daily Good.   InterestEng. students were asked to read the story and then add to the essay. We thought our readers might enjoy doing the same.

I AM so happy to live on a planet that is so big and full of life! Right this very minute somewhere in the world someone is sing- ing, a child is learning something wonderful in school, and the sun just rose perfectly in the sky. While I am sleeping, a crowd is gathered around a magnificent painting at the Royal Academy of Art in London, a marriage is taking place in Morocco, and a grasshopper in a field just leaped for the first time in its little life, defying gravity. Astronauts are looking down on our beautiful earth as someone looks up to the heavens and prays. Two new friends in Japan are smiling shyly at each other as they drink tea and someone in Germany is laughing. A whale is leaping on a wave under the warm sun and a little bird is riding on the wind. A family is moving into a new home; a neighbor has arrived at another neighbor’s house with a fresh baked pie, and somewhere a rainbow just appeared. An orange is being shared with a child and somewhere else the truth is being safely shared with an adult. A little boy just found a beautiful sea shell on the shore, a shore made of more specs of sand than any human can count.  And right now, right this very minute, thousands of stars are shining.  Isn’t it fantastic?   

     § § §

     Here is what some of our students added to the list of all the good going on in the world right now. —

Alona from Ukraine:  Right now, someone found out that he has become a father and someone has passed his most difficult exam. At the same time, somewhere someone has found water and someone else has made a fire to keep their family warm. 

Asia from Afghanistan: Somewhere a little child is laughing from her deep heart and in sweet child language she is saying to her mother, “I love you.”  Somewhere girls are going to school. That is the most wonderful thing!  Somewhere someone is helping someone else.  Somewhere right now sisters are talking with each other and somewhere a mom is making her children dinner. 

Mohamed from Egypt:  Somewhere in the sky a bird is carrying food to her child, but she drops it in front of a hungry cat.  Somewhere in a small town there is no electricity and no light which prevents thieves from breaking in and somewhere else the moonlight is lighting the way for a student coming back late from school.  Somewhere a little car has stopped suddenly before making a turn and did not hit a blind girl crossing the same street.

Pelagaeya from Russia:  Somewhere a little girl is eating a strawberry, her fingers are sticky, but it doesn’t matter.  Somebody is waiting to make his first jump with a parachute, his legs are shaking but it doesn’t matter.  Somewhere a big dog just gave a little cat a huge lick on the face and it DOES matter to the cat.  Somewhere someone is seeing snow for the first time and it’s wonderful!

 ©InterestEng. July 2013 - April 2022 §  The stories in the magazine portion of the site are written by English language learners. Stories are corrected by a native English speaker.  § Photos are staff photos or used with permission.  §  To contact us:  go.gently.on@gmail.com