Originally published in TEACH Magazine, November/December 2014 Issue
By Martha Beach
Every day, a Grade 2 student (let’s call her Rose) repeatedly asks the other girls in class to play with her. One of those classmates (who we’ll call Meg) gets fed up and complains that Rose’s requests are annoying and no one likes the games she plays. Meg’s mom advises her daughter to take a chance and invite Rose over.
The next afternoon, the two little girls spend a couple hours playing together. As Rose is leaving that evening, Meg sees that she has a giant smile plastered across her face. She hears Rose’s words of excitement and notices her dancing feet too. Meg understands how gleeful Rose feels, and she feels that glee as well.
Martha Beach lives and works in Toronto as a freelance fact-checker, editor, and writer for a wide variety of publications. When she’s not working, you’ll find Martha on her yoga mat or hanging out with her daughter and husband.
