"Finding Wonderful" by Bethany Nemmers
Jade was a young girl who was very curious.
On the first day of the week, while Jade was at school, her teacher asked the class to find something wonderful and tell her about it before the end of the week.
When school was finished, Jade began to walk home. As she walked, she looked all around her excitedly, searching for something wonderful.
It wasn’t long before she spotted a small cluster of wildflowers growing in an empty lot. Jade stopped and knelt down to study one. Its little petals looked like a gown of soft, pure gold that twirled around it. She thought it was wonderful.
On the morning of the second day, Jade told her teacher about the proud, yellow flowers she had discovered. But her teacher, who was very busy, told Jade, “That kind of flower grows all around here, I want to you to find something special.”
Jade was disappointed, but hopeful. As she walked home after school, she looked all around her, searching for something wonderful. After she passed the empty lot, she noticed a bird resting on a fence.
She immediately stopped and studied it from afar. It was a dapper little bird with a black face and a red-orange vest, complemented by the soft, gray cloak of its wings and tail. She thought it was wonderful.
On the morning of the third day, Jade told her teacher about the well-dressed little bird she had spotted. But her teacher, who was very busy, told Jade, “That’s a common bird I’ve seen a hundred times, I want you to find something special.”
Jade was disappointed, but determined. As she walked home after school, she looked all around her, searching for something wonderful. After she passed the empty lot and the fence, she saw a large tree. She stopped to look up at it. It seemed wise, as if it had seen many things pass under its branches. Yet it stood contentedly in the place where it had been planted all those years ago. She thought it was wonderful.
On the morning of the fourth day, Jade told her teacher about the wise, old tree that she had found. But her teacher, who was very busy, told Jade, “There are trees all over, I want you to find something special.”
Jade was disappointed, and a little bit desperate. As she walked home after school, she looked all around her, searching for something wonderful. After she passed the empty lot, the fence, and the tree, Jade felt the wind. The breeze lifted her hair gently, as if playing a game. She spread her hands out, feeling the wind weave through her fingers. She stopped and listened to its music as it raced through the trees. She thought it was wonderful.
On the morning of the fifth day, Jade told her teacher about the bright, playful wind that she had encountered. But her teacher, who was very busy, sighed and told Jade, “The wind is everywhere, I wanted you to find something that was special.”
Jade had failed. As she walked home after school, she didn’t look around. She knew there was nothing wonderful for her to see. Something tapped her on the shoulder. She didn’t bother to look up. Then she was tapped on the head. This time, Jade looked up as raindrops started to patter around her. She stopped. Still looking at the sky, she felt the drops kiss her face.
She closed her eyes.
She waited.
Then, she smiled.
She turned and ran back to the school. When she neared it, she saw her teacher busy hurrying through the rain. “I found something wonderful,” Jade said as she reached her teacher, “the rain.”
Slightly exasperated, the woman turned to tell Jade that there was nothing wonderful about rain.
But when she turned, she saw Jade standing with her face and arms raised toward the heavens, welcoming the rain with smiling excitement.
The sight finally caused the woman to stop.
And to look.
She wondered how Jade saw the rain. She watched it as it fell. She saw its movement. Felt its rhythm. She saw how it wet the earth and seemed to wash away the old. How the trees seemed to dance to its strange, beautiful, quiet melody.
Then, surrounded by its music, she remembered the proud, little flower, the well-dressed bird, the wise tree, and the playful wind.
She bent down to speak to Jade. She said, “This is wonderful. And so are each of the things that you told me about. I was wrong.”
Then, the woman lifted her face to feel the rain against it. She seemed to let out a breath that she had carried for a long, long time.
Jade didn’t really understand her teacher’s reaction, but she was pleased as she started on her way back home. As she walked through the rain, she looked all around her. After all, she thought, you never know when you’ll find something wonderful.