Adriana and the Wide, Wide World

From the time she was very small, Adriana was filled with curiosity. She wanted to know what was inside every box, behind every curtain and beyond every door. She hid inside wardrobes, climbed trees and pretended their branches were the masts of a great pirate ship.

“Land ahead!” she would shout, shading her eyes with one hand. “A new island to explore!”

Adriana was also remarkably determined. The front door of her family’s home had several locks, but that did not discourage her. She would drag over a chair, climb onto it and carefully examine each one, trying again and again to understand how it worked. Her mother always watched her closely, amazed by her cleverness - and slightly worried by it too.

One morning, when Adriana was five years old, she woke up with an important announcement.

“Mummy,” she said, her beautiful eyes shining, “I want to go and see the entire world!”

Her mother smiled, but Adriana’s words stayed in her thoughts. This child is so curious and determined, she said to herself. One day, she may decide to leave home all by herself - and then she could become lost. So, on a warm August morning, Adriana’s mother prepared a plan.

She took Adriana’s little backpack and placed inside it a carton of fruit juice, a shiny apple, a sandwich and a change of clothes. Then she called Adriana, helped her get dressed and placed her favourite hat upon her head.

“Well, sweetheart,” her mother announced, “today you are going to see the world!”

Adriana opened her eyes as wide as they could go.

“Really?”

She began jumping joyfully around the room.

“I’m going to see the world! I’m going to see the world!”

Her mother took her downstairs to the ground floor of their building. Together they stood before the enormous main gate. To Adriana, it seemed taller and heavier than ever before.

“Well, sweetheart,” her mother said, “the moment has arrived.”

She gave Adriana a warm hug and invited her to open the gate. Then she remained close behind her, watching carefully.

Adriana took a few steps forward. She reached toward the gate - but stopped. For a whole minute, she stood in silence. Then she turned around.

“Are you coming with me, Mummy?” she asked.

“No, sweetheart,” her mother replied gently. “This is your dream, and you must follow it yourself. Daddy, the baby and your brother and sister need me here.”

Adriana faced the gate once more. She thought about the streets beyond it. She thought about distant mountains, deep forests and sparkling oceans. She imagined all the people and places she had never seen. For five long minutes, the little explorer remained still. Then she turned and ran back to her mother.

“Do you know what, Mummy?” she said, wrapping both arms around her mother’s legs. “I’ll go and see the world when I’m as big as you, Mummy. That will be better.”

Her mother smiled and stroked her hair.

“All right, sweetheart,” she said. “That is what we shall do.”

Many years passed, but Adriana never forgot her dream. She grew in wisdom, kindness and faith. When she became an adult, she became a Christian missionary - and at last, she began her journey around the world.

She travelled to villages in Africa, America and Asia, as well as to communities throughout Europe. She met people whose lives were very different from her own. She listened to their stories, shared what she had and brought comfort and hope, especially to children.

Wherever she went, Adriana still wore that same expression of wonder she had possessed as a little girl climbing trees and pretending to be a pirate. Her childhood dream had finally come true.

Adriana had gone out to discover the world - but along the way, she discovered something even more precious: the world was not merely a collection of places to see. It was filled with people to know, hearts to love and lives to touch. And no matter how far she travelled, she always remembered the first great journey she almost took - the day she stood before an enormous gate, wearing her favourite hat, with her mother lovingly watching over her.

Moral: Curiosity gives us dreams, but wisdom teaches us when we are ready to follow them. When we grow with patience, courage, faith and love, our dreams can become a way to bring hope and kindness to others.