Morning Magic
This is a guest post
from Frank Steele, a freelance editor and proofreader who lives in the Dallas
area and resides on the Web at www.steele-editing.com.
Mrs. D. asked me if I’d consider
writing a post for her blog, and I didn’t have the faintest idea what to say. I’m
an editor, not a writer, so inspiration doesn’t come easily for me. I was
puzzling over it this morning as I went for a walk around our residential
neighborhood, which is a quiet, pleasant area full of cozy little brick houses,
trees, and parks. It was a beautiful fall morning, with crisp, clean air, and a
sky so blue that it was almost fluorescent.
I’ve always loved the mornings. I think they’re magic, and this one was especially beautiful. It was still early, so the streets were deserted and the houses were quiet, although an occasional squirrel went bouncing by, chittering as it went. Birds sang happily in the trees, which still have their leaves, although they’re now all shades of yellow and red and brown. The sun was still low on the horizon, so its rays filtering through the trees and houses were like broad spotlights on the trees and grass, giving them a golden glow. Often there are bunnies, but I suppose they were still in their burrows this morning, staying warm.
I’ve always loved the mornings. I think they’re magic, and this one was especially beautiful. It was still early, so the streets were deserted and the houses were quiet, although an occasional squirrel went bouncing by, chittering as it went. Birds sang happily in the trees, which still have their leaves, although they’re now all shades of yellow and red and brown. The sun was still low on the horizon, so its rays filtering through the trees and houses were like broad spotlights on the trees and grass, giving them a golden glow. Often there are bunnies, but I suppose they were still in their burrows this morning, staying warm.
The morning was magic, and the
world was a magical place, full of possibilities. So as I was thanking God for
such a beautiful day, it dawned on me what I should write about: Books also
make the world a magical place, full of possibilities, and transport children
to realms of wonder, no matter what’s around them.
When I was a child, growing up in
Kentucky, I read a lot. My mom would take me fishing with her, and I’d always
take books with me. We might be sitting on the bank of a bank of a muddy river,
but I wasn’t really there. I was riding with Ivanhoe, or
gazing across Walden Pond, or wondering how it could be both the best of times
and the worst of times, or tumbling down the rabbit hole with Alice. I explored
all sorts of new worlds while my mom fished.
So thank God for
children’s books, and for authors like Mrs. D., who uncover the magic in the
world and open children’s eyes to the magic that surrounds them and the
possibilities that lie within them. As children see new worlds through their
books, they can’t help but be inspired to make this world a new and better one
as well.
For bilingual children’s stories,
children’s videos, coloring pages, activities, and more, please visit http://www.freekidstories.org/, a great site run by Frank’s talented daughter.
Dear Frank,
Thank you: It’s so little. It’s so big. It’s easy – and easy to forget,
too. So THANK YOU for your time
and devotion to my work. Not too many old-school professionals like you are
left in this modern world. You are a blessing ...
Mrs. D.
