My daughter, Noelle, is eleven years old (just turned eleven this past October). She was given an assignment from her 6th grade language arts teacher, to write a poem, story, or essay about love. Noelle chose the essay format. What follows is her essay. Maybe my vision is skewed because she's my girl, but I find it to be fantastic writing, mature and thoughtful and emotionally stirring. I thank G-d every day for bringing Noelle into my life.
Hot Cocoa On A Rainy Day
by Noelle Graham
Love is just a pebble in the street being blown left and right, I thought, as I wiped the hot chocolate from my check. Love can be good, love can be bad, but you don’t really know unless you explore it. Just remember what your mother said when she wouldn’t tell you what she got you for Christmas, “What you don’t know won’t hurt you.” But I always said, “unless it’s knocking at your front door.”
I always say to myself, “Curiosity broke the heart.” So I stay out of it and let my friends deal with the tears and smiles of love. I never got my heart broken, but that doesn’t mean it’s complete.
As I look out my window, looking for hope, I saw little rain drops. They must be happy they end up in a group of water. But it was just a thought, and now it’s over.
I look around my house, thinking back to 1st grade. I was happy then, why not now? Was it because I was always with my friends and lived with my mother? But no matter what the reason, it’s different now. Why can’t I be happy? Maybe I can try.
My first thought was, maybe I could get a puppy. It would keep me occupied, and keep me laughing. But then sad thoughts filled my head. What if it dies or gets a broken leg? That would just make me cry, cry, and cry. I would never be the same again.
I shake that thought out of my head and sit by the fireplace to warm myself up. I then look at myself in the mirror and I see a cold, lonely, and sad twenty-nine year old with a cup of hot cocoa and a scarf around her neck.
Then suddenly I think to myself, who cares if I get my heart broken? It won’t do me much better if I just stick around here all winter and look at raindrops. So I grab my coat, call my friends, jump out the door, into my car, and head off to the mall. And from then on, I’ll find happiness and love around every corner.
If you don’t feel love, it’s not the fact that love can’t find you, it’s just that you don’t want to look for it.
5 Comments:
Wow. She's a fantastic writer. And a very thoughtful and articulate girl. You are truly blessed. You and your wife have done a wonderful job.
That last paragraph is something everybody should have written down somewhere for future reference. Very sweet, and true.
Thanks for sharing this, Stu.
Let me be the 3rd out of 4 commenters to say "Wow."
What an insightful young lady - you must be so proud of her. Wonder if she'd consider writing her own blog?
Incredibly complex, multilayered writing...by an eleven-year old. Has Noe ever thought about submitting to stone soup?
Reading it (Noe's essay) I felt as though she were having an out of body experience, watching herself and writing. Excellent!
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