The Magic of Fall
Fall is my favorite season. Not only does the cooler weather allow for boots and sweaters (my favorite kind of fashion!) but there is something magical about the way the environment changes during fall. The air is crisper, the chill bites at your nose and some other six sense kicks in; you can almost feel the magic hanging in the trees. At least I can.
When I was a little girl, we lived close enough to my elementary that my parents allowed me to walk to school. I remember wandering through the fallen leaves, taking in the glowing autumn light and singing my favorite song from Hocus Pocus.
Come, little children
I’ll take thee away
Into a land of enchantment
All I wanted was for some mystical force to sweep me away into the breeze and fly me through the rusted treetops. It was almost a wish that my childhood spirit was putting out into the universe. A wish to be taken captive by magic.
It’s that same feeling which I have carried with me into adulthood. I think we need that. This world is not always kind and sometimes we struggle. But when the trees turn, and the wind carries the scent of roasted pumpkin and campfire, that feeling of magic returns.
My husband and I hike often in the rocky mountains of Colorado. One of the most memorable hikes was the first year we moved to Denver and decided we wanted to go on a fall hike. We did not know what we were getting into.
I remember plodding down the dirt path through pine trees and had to pull my jacket in close to shield my skin from the icy air. It was uncomfortable and unmemorable. I wondered what the big deal was; why did hundreds of people flock to mountains every season to experience such ordinary hikes? Then the tree’s opened and the smell of moist leaves wafted across my nose.
We had stumbled upon an aspen grove and it was like someone had turned on a light switch, illuminating hundreds of glowing leaves. Everywhere you looked, up, down, sideways, a canopy and carpet of yellow consumed the landscape. My mouth literally dropped open (much like my characters who seem to always have their mouth agape at something or another).
I can only describe that feeling one way – magical. If you have ever stood amongst an aspen grove in the fall, when everything is alight in color, you have experienced one of this world’s miracles. This is real world magic.
Now, every September- October, I chase the changing trees much like that little girl chased charmed witches on her way to school. I look forward to this time every year. It means I can allow my mind to wander to enchanted lands and send a wish into the universe for something wondrous to take hold.
Come, little children
The time’s come to play
Here in my garden of magic
