We’re coming into my favorite time of the year. I love the Fall colors, the crisp but not cold air, the change in the light as it reflects off the colors of the trees. It’s a magical gift. I have so much fun putting out mums in every color, putting the pumpkins out on the porch, changing decorations to autumn colors.

Some years are more colorful than others. This year where I live in the Midwest we are in in midst of a terrible drought. Some of the leaves are already falling, changing overnight to brown with no burst of color at all. Others are getting their colors, but they don’t last long. At first, as I drove to work this morning, I was kind of sad as I saw a tree that was fabulously reflecting orange and red light just a few days ago, had dropped almost all its leaves. Then I turned a corner and saw a burst of yellow on a tree that was green yesterday. That’s when I realized that this year, the Autumn colors were going to be more like a treasure hunt than a big show. I will have to be twice as aware. Instead of basking in a whole hillside or street full of color, I will need to be looking for those special little gifts that brighten my day and make me grateful for the gifts of nature and color and light.

I realize I should be on that treasure hunt all the time. Being present in the moments of life means finding those treasures of natural beauty, but also the perfect paragraph in the book you are areading, the smile of a friend, or a stranger, the special song on the radio. It means finding treasure in moments of silence at the end (or in the middle!) of an otherwise noisy and busy day.

My 2 year old granddaughter is in that stage of collecting “treasures” to put in her treasure box. The treasures include special rocks, tree nuts, dried flowers, and some completely unidentifiable objects. But she finds beauty and delight in each one. I, on the other hand, am in that stage of life where I am trying to quit collecting objects to put on shelves and boxes, and collecting moments instead. Moments spent finding beauty on my daily commute, in conversations, in watching the birds out the window. Or even in picking up a feather or pretty rock for my grandaughter’s treasure box!

I hope you are collecting treasures, whether they are in your box or in your soul. The hunt can make the everyday moments special, and connect you with that thing we sometimes lose as we get older – wonder.

Have a great hunt! – Mama