Wind

You can’t see me, but you can feel me tickle your cheeks and ruffle your hair. Whoosh. I make the leaves on the trees dance and help your kite soar high in the sky. Sometimes I am a gentle whisper, like a little secret. Shhhh. Other times I am a big, loud roar that makes the branches wiggle. Who am I. I am the Wind.

A long, long time ago, people learned I could be a big helper. In a sunny place called Egypt, people wanted to travel on the big Nile River. Around the year 3200 BCE, they put up big pieces of cloth called sails to catch me. I huffed and I puffed and I pushed their boats all across the water. It was so much fun to help. Much, much later, in a place called Persia around the 7th century CE, clever people built windmills. These had big spinning arms, and I loved to push them. I would spin the arms around and around, helping people grind grain to make yummy bread for their families.

Today, I still love to play and help you. I spin your colorful pinwheels and make them whir. I carry the sweet smell of flowers from the garden right to your nose. I also push big, tall windmills that look like giant flowers. When I spin them, they make clean power for your lights and toys. I am always moving, always exploring, and always ready for an adventure. So the next time you feel a little breeze on your face, that’s just me saying a happy hello.