Spilling Joy

Every year, when the leaves start to turn all the shades of red, orange and yellow, I remember when I first realized you could drive out of your way on a normal weekday, just to see more of those beautiful colours.

The mom of one family we drove to school with had cancer. She was always sweet and gracious and she was a good friend of my mom. One morning she came a little early to pick us up for school, and I was a little annoyed about that. As we drove, she told us that she wanted to drive a longer way to school this morning so we could see more of the fall colours.

We took a road that goes through a conservation area, and the trees were stunning. The sun was hitting them just right and most of us oohed and ahhed and tried to see out all the windows at once. I've driven through there many times since then, and many times when fall colour is at its peak, and it is truly stunning. But I think part of why I was so in awe of those beautiful trees that day was because of the lady driving that school van. She went out of her way to find the extra beauty. She pointed out spots that had exceptional colour that our little school kid brains wouldn't have paid extra attention too. She let us see her joy at those bright colours and that has stuck with me for years. She went to heaven a year or 2 after that, and I think she must love all the colour up there.

Now, every fall, I remember her excitement as she drove a noisy SUV full of kids through a conservation area, and I try to let my own children see when I find something beautiful or exciting. Don't hide it when beautiful trees, a perfect rose, a full moon or a tiny toad makes your heart happy. There's little people watching you and they just might begin to look for Creation that makes them rejoice because you let them see what your Creator does for you.