'Night Sky' by Grace Meersman
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- 4/5/2011 |
- 10:00 am
Categories: Big Brain Club
The following is a personal narrative that was originally published in The Big Brain Club at Preston Middle School, a collection of creative writing that was produced entirely by 6th, 7th and 8th grade students at Preston Middle School in Fort Collins, Colo. The book was published as part of a partnership between the school and The Big Brain Club, who also donated new
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Night Sky
by Grace Meersman
6th Grade
Imagine you’re 9,500 feet up on a mountaintop. It is dark, the stars are out, and it’s freezing. It’s quiet and peaceful; it feels like you have all the time in the world. Tall trees surround you, crickets chirp, wolves howl; you’re in your own sanctuary.
At Eco Week I went on a night hike with my group, and Mr. Lowndes, a teacher, was our leader. He whispered, “We are not the only ones here so be very quiet for the first half of this hike. I want you to be able to see the beauty of the night sky.”
My nostrils filled with fresh air. It smelled like sweet pinecones. I could see the frost on the grass. The air felt crispy, and I could see my own breath. As I was in warm clothes, every bone in my body was so bundled up, I felt like a toddler in a snowsuit barely able to move. At first, we were all huddled in a giant group like penguins trying to keep each other warm.
We started off slowly, now in single file, but then sped up the pace. There was talking in the back of the group, but I was not distracted for long. I gazed up at the stars. It was so beautiful and clear. All the stars were visible. Even Orion’s Belt was out. All of a sudden, the brightest star popped out, and I knew at once it was my father’s star. Three years ago my father passed away, so my family decided it was his star and that he would be watching over us when we saw it. I couldn’t believe it. I almost started to cry. At that moment my feet felt like feathers while my heart began to pound like an 80-pound drum.
We went down a small path. Mr. Lowndes told us, “Lay down for a while. Just rest and look at the stars.”
So we obeyed and lay down on the cold grass. Thankfully, I dressed warm as I heard moans and groans around me from those that were not prepared to lie down in a frosted forest.
It was silent for those ten minutes. Very calming, while all of the usual thoughts running in my head like “What am I going to have for breakfast?” just disappeared. I love this, I thought. The peaceful setting made me realize a lot of people actually love me. When I’m calm, all my feelings rise to the surface. I could feel the tears start to form in the corner of my eyes as my emotions swept over me.
We slowly got up and did a moon shadow interactive activity. Half of us stood in the shadows while the other half of the people tried to look at us while they stood still in the moonlight. Then we rotated positions. We also ran in the shadows, and they didn’t even notice we moved. I loved the moonlight! Again, I was reminded of how peaceful it was in the mountains. In Fort Collins, it would be so difficult to do this with all of the lights of the city and noises all around you.
On the way back to the dorms, we went back with a social hike. The next thing I knew I fell into a puddle, so I practically had to waddle back. My friends and I got a good laugh out of the incident. On the way, I also thought about all the nice things people have done for me in my life. Also, how my father loves me so dearly and watches over me from above.
This is how this dark, freezing, quiet, night turned into one of the best ones in my life. It changed my thoughts and views of my closest friends and family and gave me a sense of peace that I won’t soon forget. My father truly looks over me day in and day out. The memory that I took with me from this trip was that someone is looking over you every day, no matter where you are.
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3 Responses to "'Night Sky' by Grace Meersman"
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Kevin
May 19, 2011 6:04 am
Very Nice! -
Mary Barela
May 21, 2011 6:04 am
Wow--a very moving yet light and humorous narrative! I loved reading this, Grace!! -
Lauren
August 8, 2011 6:04 am
Very Nice, Grace!!
