( Intermediate Level )
Every weekend little Beth spent the weekends at her grandparent’s 5-acre farm. This was a special time for her. They had a simple house with a few farm animals.
Friday night Grandpa would drive into the city to pick up his granddaughter from school and stop by the ice cream shop to get a vanilla shake that they would share.
“Don’t tell grandma. She will be mad at me for spoiling your dinner. This is our little secret.” Beth would smile. She knew Grandma had figured out, months back, what those two were up to.
Grandpa had surprised her with her own little pony one year. Beth would ride for hours. Using her imagination when she rode. Exploring foreign lands and discovering new civilizations.
Her grandparents had a small pond on their farm. Grandpa had stocked it with a few turtles and fish. Every now and then he would go fishing for that night’s dinner.
Beth would sit on the bench under the tree and just watch. She enjoyed watching the butterflies, frogs, and dragonflies.
Everyone loves butterflies but she had a fondness for the dragonflies. Some were red. Some were orange. And some had no special color at all. They were almost translucent.
“We can use those dragonflies for bait. They might help us catch a big fish.’ her grandfather mentioned as he watched his granddaughter .”No Grandpa, they are much too beautiful for a fish to eat.”
Weekends after weekends, summers after summers, never fail, Beth could be found at her grandparent’s. It saddened her that once she started at the university she couldn’t spend as much time there.
Although she couldn’t visit often she made sure to call them at least once a week.” Your grandfather and I know your studies are important. Don’t you worry about us. We will see you on Christmas and spring break.”
Beth was majoring in agricultural business with a minor in animal science. One day she hoped to do research regarding sustainability. Possibly collaborating with others from around the world. Her grandfather was proud of her choice.
Her grandfather believed we should keep the earth the way it was meant to be. “Why do we abuse it so?” he would ask. He never had an answer.
“One day when your grandmother and I pass, this small farm will be yours, if you want it. I hope you do.” Logically the farm was well outside the city and once she started her career she knew it would be a commute back and forth but she knew how much it meant to them. “Of course Grandpa. This is home to me as well.”
The years have passed, and the cycle of life moves on. Beth graduated from the university and she started her career as a professor at the same university she graduated from.
Her grandparents were gone now and she moved, as promised, to the farm. She spent much of her free time outdoors tending to the grounds as her grandfather did. He never used pesticides and fed his animals’ organic feed.
“If we are going to eat what we grow or raise, I want it free from everything. We do not need chemicals inside us.” Beth never really understood this concept until she was much older.
Some days were difficult for Beth. Keeping up with her work, research, and the farm. They were related to each other in a way.
She always kept in mind the three pillars of sustainability. Economics, society, and the environment. The data gathered from the farm was valuable in her research.
Could these methods be done on a much larger scale? This was her biggest question to answer. She needed to somehow prove this in her paper.
Many evenings she could be found sitting on the bench by the pond her grandfather started. She was amazed at what her grandfather had accomplished knowing he hadn’t finished high school.
Somehow he knew simple was best. This was evident in the way he lived his life. Sure, maybe it was out of necessity but you never heard him nor her grandmother complain.
One evening, Beth noticed something different. She noticed a beautiful tri-colored dragonfly. It was deep blue, black, and had a turquoise body. Never had she seen such a beautiful dragonfly around here before. The ones she remembers were not as vibrant in colors.
It seemed to appear on those days when she felt frustrated and sat by the pond in deep thoughts. Was this a sign for her? Could this be, somehow, a sign from her grandfather?
Oddly enough, Beth found herself looking for Grandpa Dragonfly, as she named him, each time she sat by the pond.
Out of nowhere, he would appear and just sit there as if he was listening. She would share her day with him. She felt silly at times talking to this dragonfly but she didn’t care. It helped her stay focused on what is important to her and what was important to her grandfather.
She eventually completed her research paper with acknowledgement from colleagues and researchers worldwide. She wanted to share this news with the mysterious dragonfly but he was never to be seen again.
He seemed to have arrived into Beth’s life when he was needed the most and then unexpectedly left. Miracles come when you least expect them. In this case, a dragonfly.
Beth continues to expand on her research and can still be found sitting on the bench by the pond, hoping one day to catch a glimpse of Grandpa Dragonfly.
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Thoughts From Angel:
There are so many unexplained things that happen in our lives. Are they miracles? Or just a coincidence? No one knows. If it brings comfort , as it did for Beth, then let it be.
I also have a fond childhood memory of dragonflies.
If you appreciate what I do:
Vocabulary:
spoiling your dinner – phrasal verb: to decrease your appetite
imagination– noun: creative
fondness – noun: affection
translucent – adjective: semitransparent
sustainability– noun: avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance
collaborating – verb: work jointly on an activity
logically– adverb: sound reasoning
commute – verb: travel some distance between one place and another often place
cycle of life -noun: changes in life from birth to death
pesticides – noun: a substance used for destroying insects
organic – adjective: without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or other artificial agents
research– noun: investigation
methods– noun: procedures
evident – adjective: obvious
necessity – noun: need
tri-colored – adjective: having three colors
vibrant– adjective: brilliant
focused – verb : pay attention
acknowledgement – noun: acceptance of the truth or existence of something
unexpectedly – adverb: not expected
glimpse – noun: a momentary or partial view
Question ( s ):
How important is the environment to you?
Do you believe in miracles? or something you may not be able to explain logically?
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