There, far away, a long time ago, on a continent called Africa, in a country called Sudan, in a city called Omdurman, in a spot in that land called AL Thora AL Harra 11, in a house at that spot, a girl was sitting in the living room staring at the TV watching her favorite show.
The show was stunning; it was about a beautiful woman telling her inspiring story. The girl had never seen her before, but her unique voice and brilliant words sunk deeply into the girl’s heart and made it beat throughout the night. That night, the girl couldn’t sleep, the woman’s words touched her so strongly that they went through her thoughts and opened them for new things in life. This day would bring about change in her life, as it opened her mind to other stories in life, making her think outside her small box and expanding her tiny view.
The beautiful woman was Dr. Maya Angelou. I have never forgotten that moment; in fact, I see it now as if it is happening before my eyes. I can one again more hear her tone voice, feel her story, and what she wanted to convey to the audience.
A long time has passed since that day, but Dr. Maya is still in my mind, in my thoughts, and in my heart. When I face difficulties in my life, her story jumps to my mind and tells me that difficulties only make you stronger.
There was a dream born that day, a dream to come to the United States and meet Dr. Maya. The first time I came to America was in July 2015. I came to the States, but my dream didn’t come true because Dr. Maya died the year before.
In 2015, when my feet touched Seattle airport, I honestly felt an unusual feeling; I didn’t know what that feeling was at the time, but later I recognized it for what it was: it was a huge love story between my heart and America.
I stayed for ten days, and those were some of the happiest days of my entire life. At the end of those ten days, I went back to the country where I was living at that time, but you know what? I left my heart in the United States, and I had no plans of going back.
Fate, however, had other plans for me. Eventually, I made my way back to the States and found a new page in my life opened.
Little things can make a big difference in someone’s life, it could be a story, movie, TV show, person, or a single word.
As an immigrant, I had expected love, mercy, and affection in this land, and that is what I have found, and that is what makes America great.
America has a dominant, great, and unique culture that touches everyone and everywhere—be it a small girl faraway in Africa who wants to be a singer like Alicia keys or a boy who wants to be a great leader like Abraham Lincoln who fights for justice and speaks to unite his nation, or a wise congressperson like Nancy Pelosi, a little boy far away in Asia loves Brad Pitt or a little girl who wants to be like Serena Williams, another little girl in South America trying to copy Selena Gomez or a small boy who wants to be like Bill Gates.
There is a magic in this land, that magic is a big blessing from God, and this is what makes America so great.
Thank you, God, and thank you, America, and happy thanksgiving to everyone.
Maha Gabir
Nov,27,19
m.ageeb.w@gmail.com