Autumn Leaves

Fall has always been my favorite season. Some people love summer when they can splash in the pool or sneak off to go skinny dipping. Not me. I have always loved fall. The feel of the fresh, crisp air and the vibrant colors of the leaves as they fall to the ground. The sound of children laughing as they jump into a massive pile of leaves always brings a smile to my face. This is my Christmastime. This is my most wonderful time of year.

Driving through the countryside and seeing the leaves changing colors is my most favorite past time. The leaves seemed to float in the wind for eternity as they fell to the ground. Seeing my kids in the rearview mirror laughing in the backseat as they try to count the leaves as they fall can’t help but remind me of the drives I used to take with my parents. My dad loved to just drive through the countryside on Sundays. This was our after-church ritual. We would go home, eat, and load up into the car. We would always go the same way, but it was always something new to see. He loved to see us so excited. We would see the leaves as they fall and try to keep count. The streets were covered in these beautiful shades of browns, yellows, and reds. My dad would glance at us in the back seat, smile, and point at a house and say, "I wonder who lives there?" I would always guess a beautiful princess who loved to go horseback riding down by the creek. This was my way of telling him I wanted a pony. He would just laugh and point to another house.

We would always stop at a neighborhood park and get out of the car to go run through the leaves. My mom usually sat on a bench beneath this huge tree and laugh as we threw the leaves up in the air while trying not to let them land on us. She loved to see her children happy. She always said we were her pride and joy. My dad usually sat alongside my mom on the bench. Sometimes he would get up and chase us, calling himself the “leaf monster”. After we would tire ourselves out, we would get back in the car and start the drive back home. I never wanted those days to end. They were my little slice of perfect.

It's been about 20 years since my mom has passed away. I can still remember her smiling face as we drove through the countryside, watching the leaves fall. Now I can hear my own kids in the backseat giggle as they keep having to start over while trying to keep count of the leaves as they fall. Sunday drives are now our favorite pastime of the week. As I pull into the park that is now covered with beautiful reddish leaves, I can't help but smile as my dad's eyes light up as he sees the bench that he and my mom used to sit on and watch us play. As we sit down on that old bench, I can see my dad scanning every inch of the park.

“You know,” my dad said as he put his hand on mine, “I’m so glad I get to still come here with you and your kids. Sometimes it feels like she is still here.”

“Yeah, mom loved this park. She used to come here and sit and read for hours.”

I could see my dad drift off into the memories they shared together. It seems like such a lifetime ago.

“You see that tree over there?”

“The pear tree?” I asked while helping my dad to his feet.

“Yep, that’s the one. Do you know your mom planted that tree? She thought the neighborhood could use more fruit, plus she wanted the squirrels to have a sweet snack.”

“Well,” I said laughing. “She always cared about the neighborhood squirrels.”

“Yeah, she was something special, your mother. Most people would have planted an apple tree, but not your mother. She loved that pear tree. I wanted to carve our initials in it but your mother wouldn’t hear of it. “It’s not just ours.” she would say. “This tree belongs to everyone.””

As we drove back down the tree-lined street, I couldn’t help but remember my childhood and the love we all had and still have for one another.

“Hey Dad,” I said while pointing to a beautiful white house. “I wonder who lives there?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” He said while laughing. “Probably some princess who loves to go horseback riding down by the creek.”