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February 24, 2025 14 mins

Mia’s Secret Garden teaches us that every action, no matter how big or small, has the power to create ripples that affect everyone around us. Through Mia’s journey of nurturing her garden, we learn that our choices shape not only our own identity but also the lives of others. Most importantly, the story reveals that these ripples guide us in discovering who we are and who we aspire to become. It’s a beautiful reminder of the inter connectedness of our lives and the profound impact we can have on the world.


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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, hey, Curiosity Cove listeners, Guess what, Ella the Curious
is not just in your ears, She's about to be
in your hands.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
That's right.

Speaker 1 (00:09):
My brand new children's book I Got It From My
Mama is coming out on April twenty second, and you
can pre order it right now. If you love the
magic of Curiosity Cove, you're going to adore this heartwarming
story about the special.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Things we inherit from our moms.

Speaker 1 (00:24):
Hit the link in the show notes, or head to
Amazon or fort hyphensumter dot com to snag your copy.
Early adventure awaits this time on your bookshelf.

Speaker 3 (00:40):
Pencil to paper, sketching you art on this page.

Speaker 2 (00:48):
What kind of journey will this drawing.

Speaker 4 (00:51):
Bring to today?

Speaker 3 (00:55):
Another adventure waits for you. Heo, Scout and Laila my
come along too.

Speaker 4 (01:03):
It's imagination time.

Speaker 3 (01:08):
At Curiosity col Curiosity Come.

Speaker 2 (01:16):
It's a magical.

Speaker 3 (01:17):
Place come true.

Speaker 4 (01:21):
Welcome to Adventures Curiosity Came.

Speaker 1 (01:34):
Hello, it's me Ella the Curious. Whether you're joining us
for the first time or coming back for more adventures,
I'm thrilled to have you here. Welcome back to Season
two of the Adventures of Curiosity Cove, where each episode
we dive into one of my own ll of the
Curious Adventures, or listen to an original story.

Speaker 2 (01:53):
Right here in my cozy treehouse. Picture this.

Speaker 1 (01:56):
We're nestled among the trees, surrounded by comfy bean by
piles of fluffy pillows, and yes, my favorite stuffy row
is here too. It's like we've stepped into a peaceful world,
almost as if my mom used her relaxing dream spray
to set the tone. It's just peace and quiet, perfect
for storytime. So what are we waiting for? Let's dive

(02:18):
into today's tale called MIA's Secret Garden Part one. It
teaches us that every action, no matter how big or small,
has the power to create ripples that affect everyone around us.

Speaker 2 (02:30):
Are you ready to listen? I sure am, all right,
Let's do it.

Speaker 5 (02:39):
Mia was a gregarious young girl, bursting with ideas in imagination.
From the very beginning. She had a treasure trobe of
thoughts swirling in her head, yet she often struggled to
express them. One day in school, the teacher asked the
class who would like to paraphrase the chapter we had
just read about evolution. Nobody raised their hand. Mia was

(03:01):
very confident she knew how evolution worked so before she
even thought about it, nobody Mia raised her hand. Ah, Mia,
enlighten us.

Speaker 1 (03:13):
Yeah, well, it's just like if you're like a deer
or a gazelle and a scary line is running after you,
and all the other deer are running too, and like
there are a small deer in the back that are
slower or older, but like there are some who are
your same age and they cannot run you either. And
then you get to live, and then you have kids
who are fast like you, and then have to outrun
other kids, and the lines keep getting faster because they

(03:34):
have to outrun the other lines too to eat. So
the ones that are fastest keep living and having kids
who are faster.

Speaker 5 (03:39):
And Mia realized that everyone was staring at her, and
she immediately got really hot and really sweaty. She felt
her cheeks getting really red and thought to herself.

Speaker 2 (03:50):
This isn't going well. Yeah, so that's like evolution.

Speaker 5 (03:56):
Everyone was quiet for a second, then they all started laughing.
Mia couldn't figure out why they were all laughing.

Speaker 2 (04:04):
Yeah, why did you raise your hand?

Speaker 5 (04:07):
She knew that she knew what evolution was, but she
thought she did a poor job at explaining it, so
she chalked it up to not being good at articulating
her thoughts. After that day, she learned to keep her
vibrant thoughts locked away, hidden from the world. Mia would
often hear her parents trying to figure out everyday problems.

(04:29):
She would have great ideas on how to solve them,
but she was so used to keeping them locked behind
the door of her mouth that it was just first
nature to have a great idea on how to help
but never speak up about it. MIA's grandma lived right
next door, so every day she would stop by after
school for a chocolate caramel candy called a reason. It

(04:51):
was her reason for stopping by every day. Mia had
no problem opening up to her grandma. Her grandma was
a wise, graceful woman who was always full of love.
Her grandma never tried to fix her problems, nor did
she tell her what she thinks she should do. She
just listened and said.

Speaker 1 (05:10):
You'll figure it out, honey. Have you tried clearing your
thoughts in the garden?

Speaker 5 (05:15):
Mia looked out her grandma's back window to the garden
that was surrounded by overgrown sunflower plants.

Speaker 1 (05:22):
Oh, Grandma, you always talk about walks in that garden.
I think that's for old people. Plus I get lost
in there. You sure would, honey, you sure would. Oh well,
one day when you're old like me, you'll understand someone

(05:44):
will have to take care of my little munchkins when
I'm gone. What did you say, Grandma, Oh nothing, dear,
just thinking out loud again.

Speaker 2 (05:54):
Well, I better get home for supper. I love you
so so.

Speaker 1 (05:58):
Much, Grandma. I love you too, my beautiful girl, Mia.
Don't you forget how impactful you are. Thanks, Grandma, see
you tomorrow.

Speaker 5 (06:11):
Mia had no idea, but that was the last time
she ever got to speak to her grandma. Her grandma
went to sleep that night and never woke up. Her
grandma had lived a beautiful life and she was ready
to be reunited with her husband, MIA's grandpa in heaven.
But Mia wasn't ready for this unfortunate news. When Mia
found out the next day, she didn't speak to anyone

(06:34):
for the next few days. She just couldn't find the
words to express what she was feeling, so she did
what she always did and held them in. Yet there
was one special someone she could open up to other
than her grandma. Alone in her room, Mia would talk

(06:54):
to mister Figgs. Mister Figgs had been her constant companion
since childhood, a gift from her mom during one of
MIA's many hospital stays for asthma. Her mom always made
those sterile rooms feel so cozy, and it was there
that Mia first tried a fig Newton. An instant favorite,

(07:16):
the bear quickly became a symbol of comfort, especially on
nights when Mia had to stay at the hospital. With
mister Figgs by her side, she felt safe enough to
share her thoughts and fears.

Speaker 1 (07:28):
I just don't know how to express what I'm feeling.
I'm so happy that Grandma gets to be reunited with Grandpa.
But I didn't get to say goodbye. I didn't get
to tell her how influential she's been in my life,
how she taught me so much just by being herself.
She taught me kindness, She taught me how to regulate
my emotions.

Speaker 2 (07:48):
She was always there for me. It never needed anything
from me. She was the most perfect grandma girl could
ever ask for.

Speaker 5 (07:55):
Mia wept while she held mister fig tight in her
arms that night, but not for long, because before she
knew it, she was fast asleep. That night, she had
a dream that her Grandma's garden gnome woke her up
in her bed.

Speaker 2 (08:12):
Miss Mia, Miss Mia, come quick the garden meet you.

Speaker 5 (08:17):
Mia wasn't sure what to do, but the gnome hopped
off of her bed ran out of her room. Mia
was groggy and her dream and her eyes were a
bit foggy, but she got out of bed, put her
pink fuzzy bunny slippers on, and walked out of her room.
She spotted the gnome at the end of the hall,
just before the stairs that led to the front door.

(08:40):
Come miss Mia quickly. The gnome disappeared again down the stairs.
Mia ran to the end of the hall and peered
down the stairs, just in time to see the gnome
slip through the crack of the front door that was
left ajar. Mia started to take a step downstairs when
she heard her mother's voice. Mia Mia froze, glancing around
to find mother peering out from her bedroom at the

(09:02):
opposite end of the hall. She stared at her mom,
caught in a moment of indecision. Should she respond or
dash after the nome. Mia Mia was frozen like a
video game. That's glitching.

Speaker 1 (09:15):
Mia, mea, Mia, It's time to wake up.

Speaker 5 (09:21):
Mia slipped further and further out of her dream until
she opened her eyes and saw her mom sitting on
the edge of her bed, smiling at her, rubbing her arm.

Speaker 2 (09:30):
That looked like some sleep you were in.

Speaker 1 (09:32):
Oh Mom, I was just getting to the good part.
A Nome was telling me that I needed to help him,
and he ran out of my room. I was following
him to the front door, but you stopped me when
you woke me up. Oh darn, I'm sorry, Mimi. Hopefully
he'll come back to you tonight and you can follow
him to nome Land. But right now you have to

(09:54):
get up and get ready for school.

Speaker 5 (09:56):
In the days that followed, Mia found herself lost in
a tw web of emotions. Her heart ached with sadness
for the loss of her grandma, yet it swelled with
gratitude for the rich life her grandma had lived and
the precious moments they shared. She also could not stop
thinking about the Gnome. One day after school, as she

(10:17):
was doing her homework, she dazed off. She was thinking
about the Gnome and his urgency for me to help him.
It just felt so real. Who can she tell about this?
Just then she remembered her grandma's words, have.

Speaker 1 (10:33):
You tried clearing your thoughts in the garden. That's it,
I need to go to the garden.

Speaker 5 (10:39):
Mio walked downstairs and told her mom and dad.

Speaker 2 (10:41):
I'm going to go for a walk to clear my head.

Speaker 5 (10:44):
She started walking out the door when her dad said, Honey,
you know you can always talk to your mom and I.
It's very hard for us not to be able to help,
but you can always tell us. Hey, I just need
an ear and we'll get the point.

Speaker 2 (10:59):
Thanks Dad, Thanks Mom, love you, I love you, Mimi.
Be back for dinner please.

Speaker 5 (11:06):
She walked down the street to her grandma's house. Seeing
her grandma's house, Mia was struck with the sad realization
that she couldn't just walk in and see her. She
walked around to the back where her grandmother's large garden lay.
Tall sunflower plants surrounded it, swaying gently in the breeze.
As she took in her surroundings, she spotted the gnome

(11:28):
from her dreams standing statuesque right outside her grandma's garden.
Mia glanced around the yard to see if there were
any other nomes, but found none. When she looked back
at the garden, the gnome had vanished.

Speaker 1 (11:43):
That's odd, I could have swore there was a noome
right there, Mia, you're seeing things.

Speaker 5 (11:50):
Mia looked around to see if maybe she saw it
somewhere else, but didn't spot a single gnome around the yard.
She walked towards the giant sunflower plants. They're tall, all
leafy stems reaching high into the sky. The sunflowers seemed
to form a little fortress, their bright faces all turned
towards the sun. How did Grandma fit through here? And

(12:12):
how is walking through these giant plants? Getting slapped in
the face by leaves gonna quiet my racing thoughts?

Speaker 2 (12:18):
This seems crazy, but here it goes.

Speaker 1 (12:24):
Boy oh boy, I can't wait to continue to hear
about Meeta's journey in her grandma's garden.

Speaker 2 (12:31):
Boy, was I comfy and cozy and all tuned in.

Speaker 1 (12:34):
If you loved what you listened to, please leave us
a five star review, but only if you really mean it.

Speaker 2 (12:40):
We love hearing your feedback.

Speaker 1 (12:42):
It helps us grow so we can continue to bring
stories to you and all our curious listeners. You never know,
you might even get a shout out for me here
in the cove. All right, I need a snack, so
I'm headed back home. Until next time, Friends, We never
say goodbye. It's always see you later. Be sure to
subscribe to our podcast, The Adventures of Curiosity Cove on

(13:04):
your favorite podcast platform and on our Instagram page at
Love Fort Sumter. Remind your parents to subscribe to our
newsletter at Fort Hyphensumter dot com. They'll get early updates
on what's going on around here for them and for you.
Adventures of Curiosity Cove was created by Tika Sumter and
Nicholas Muscarella. Today's story was written by Nicholas James Muscarella.

(13:29):
Adventures of Curiosity Cove's theme song was written and composed
by Mattie Limb and sung by Laura Saraphine.

Speaker 2 (13:36):
Engineered by Robert.

Speaker 1 (13:38):
Aultchuller, sound effects by Command Creative Studios. Ella the Curious
is an original story series created by Tika Sumter.

Speaker 3 (13:47):
At Curiosity Cove. Curiosity Come Yet, some Magical Place, Come.

Speaker 4 (14:00):
Welcome to Adventures of Curiosity Cold. This is a Fort
Sumter production.

Speaker 2 (14:16):
Did you pre order yet?

Speaker 1 (14:17):
Because I got it from my mama as landing April
twenty second, and you don't want to miss it. It's
filled with love, laughter, and all the wonderful things we
get from our mamas. Tap the link in the show
notes to grab yours now on Amazon or fortsumter dot com,
and if you pre order, you'll also have it in
your hands before you know it.
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