A group of students were asked to list what they thought were the present Seven Wonders of the World. After some disagreement, the following got the most votes: 1) Egypt’s Great Pyramids; 2) Taj Mahal; 3) Grand Canyon; 4) Panama Canal; 5) Empire State Building; 6) St. Peter’s Basilica, 7) China’s Great Wall.
While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one quiet student hadn’t turned in her paper, so she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The girl replied, “Yes, a little. I couldn’t quite make up my mind because there were so many.” The teacher said, “Well, tell us what you have and maybe we can help.” The girl hesitated, then read, “I think the Seven Wonders of the World are: 1) to touch; 2) to taste; 3) to see; 4) to hear; 5) to feel; 6) to laugh; and 7) to love.
The room was full of silence. Those things we overlook as simple and “ordinary” are truly wondrous — a gentle reminder that the most precious things in life cannot be bought.
