Fitzroy's Christmas Wish

“Let me channel you for a while, let me make your corner dial,” the leaf said as she giggled. The windswept secret blew in the direction of the little white fox sitting there by himself and was ignoring the leaf altogether.

Bitter hearts never cry when the north wind blows because they know it will soon be time to put up their feet and be cozy. That's what he wanted more than anything. The fox turned and looked up again at the far away orb in the sky and believed that it was his reflection. He smiled a bit at his imagined self. “How did I get here?” he questioned. Fitzroy had the the feeling that he was supposed to be somewhere but couldn't remember how since he was just a little thing. He smiled up at the moon and the moon seemed to smile back at the little white fox.

The Talking Leaf knew the secret of the Forever Plan and the seasons. Undeterred from his task to help it unfold raising little doubt in the success of the turning of the year he knew it would just happen. How he loved winter. Every year the tree spawned generations of his family of leaves. They would grow fat and green, and then dance through the air splendidly in their fall and get to blow around a bit, then nature would cover everything white and bright. Until the Forever Plan continued and the next year it all began again. That made things go on forever. So far this tree was over 100 years old and quite pleased with himself, as was the wise old leaf. He thought he would help Fitzroy out and tell him the story of life, so he did...

Nature has it's own way of nurturing itself. All the growth helps each other out. Winter is a particularly exciting time in nature's realm. Everything gets plucked from the ground or falls as if from the very sky itself. Then food everywhere has to be stored, for animal, vegetable, and mineral to store for the winter. The pickers, the tree climbers, the foragers, all become complete by the time the earth is frozen.

The fox listened intently to the talking leaf explain about the four seasons of nature. Now, if the land could just get the fox to turn himself around. He was lost you see, the fox had followed a bird in the sky and got away from his pack then couldn't find his way back.

Then a storm came. The wind that Christmas eve day began to howl. Branches were breaking, icicles dangling, The air quickly filled with snow. But if you listened very closely was a sound with a little treble. Fitzroy small as could be in the pile of white he could hardly see.

The woodland animals heard his cries and tried. Squirrels climbed up on branches, rabbits bounced on the pathway, but coyotes never left their hiding. The wolf kept his distance and for that they were all grateful.

The wind a sang song...”What did you wish for, can I carry it for you? May I wave my hands and make your magic appear? Maybe I can, maybe not for certain, but just for today let me help you with your burden.” Then a great light shone on the ground.

Then time stood still, just for the sake of awesomeness. It was like no years had ever passed at all and there was just the moment. Pauses in life are like that. The leaf yawned a little as the others blew around a bit on the snow.

The weight of the world fell on his soul as he realized that he would have to tread carefully if he could at all. Just then he saw a falling star way up high in the sky. Fitzroy the Fox made a wish, “I wish I may, I wish I might have my wish granted by Christmas Eve Night...to know how to move and how to get there.”

The storm stopped and the snow glistened. Candy canes, bows, and cotton candy fell from the sky as Santa and his sleigh flew by. The animals came out to see. Did you know the smallest little thing can have the farthest peek? There was a group of sparrows tucked in a hole in a tree!

There was Sally the sparrow, Fitzroy's friend. She flew out and did a little dance up in the sky. Fitzroy never left her caring eyes. She swooped, she swirled, until she caught his eye. Come with me she sang. Up Fitzroy sprang, and together they bounced across the path of candy.

They jumped, they rolled, they played in the snow but didn't look over their shoulder. There was a hunter looking for a fox. Sally shrieked at the sight, they ran from the man because Fitzroy couldn't fly. Round and round they went making the hunter go in circles until the sound of jingles got louder and louder. Looking up to the sky there was Santa again coming from a marvelous cloud coming back around. Down he swooped, reindeer and all and with a woosh of his sleigh made a wall of snow. Fitzroy and Sally now could run. Together they scurried through a hole in a porch to hide for a while and stay warm. Now you might think that a fox and a sparrow would not make good friends but sometimes, maybe, they could. Fitzroy soon fell in love with Sally.

Then the squirrels ran around and together the forest chimed, all their natural voices filled the wind. The birds, the night time crawlers, the raccoons, cleared the path until the little fox and bird saw the path and got their own momentum again. Fitzroy gasped, “oh boy,” what a relief, what a fantastic thing! Like some great slide across the snow the fox was filled with happiness to be rejoined with what belonged to him.

Once he settled in with his family of foxes, he smiled. He sang out the story of his travels by the moon to the rest of the foxes and they shared the wonder of the sky. The essence of a fox is a curious thing. It not only revives the mind and heart, it's the spice of living. Visions of pumpkin spice and candy canes filled his dreams and he knew his essence would fulfill his purpose one day. Fitzroy and Sally destined to be friends forever.

Then there was the dawning of Christmas Day. The rest of the foxes in the burrow looked up at the sky in new awareness as the light rose in the horizon knowing that wishes do come true.