Winding its way past the back of the house, the trail scampered into the woods, taking all sorts of playful twists and turns as it went. Anna smiled fondly at the sight, thinking back over the hundreds of times she had walked down this trail on her way to the maple forest. The trees had never looked more glorious than they did now in their autumn colors. Fiery crimson, brilliant orange, vibrant yellow – every hue imaginable found its way onto a leaf, creating a scene of unparalleled magnificence. Anna didn’t think it was possible for anything to be so beautiful. Delight seemed to fill her from head to toe, bubbling up through her entire being.

“You’ll be leaving tomorrow.”

The words cut sharply through Anna’s reverie. She glanced over at her sister, who was walking next to her, hands thrust deep into her pockets. Maddie usually enjoyed their walks together – especially during the fall, when the leaves were ablaze – but today she seemed strangely cold and aloof. And Anna thought she might understand why.

“It’s only for three months. Before you know it, Christmas will be here, and I’ll be back from college,” she replied, trying to console her sister. “I’ll have all sorts of stories to tell you about what college’s like – and it’s not as if I’ll be gone completely. I promise I’ll call you, or text you, or talk to you in some way every day.”

“But it’s not the same,” Maddie muttered. They rounded a bend in the trail, leaves crunching underfoot. “We won’t be able to go on our walks anymore, and the trees, the leaves, the trail…it all won’t seem the same without you.”

  “Maybe not,” Anna admitted. She stopped in front of a large sugar maple and tilted her head up. Above her, a golden canopy of delicate leaves stretched into the clear blue sky. She took a deep breath of the fresh, crisp air, savoring its chilly sting. “I’m going to miss our forest. I’ll miss how beautiful our trees look, and I’ll miss our walks together even more. And most of all, I’ll miss you. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a bright side to this.”

As she spoke, a large maple leaf fluttered down, brushing lightly across Maddie’s head. Anna reached out and caught it before it could blow away. The leaf was strikingly beautiful, half green and half red that turned to yellow at the edges. Anna held it out to Maddie, saying as she did so, “You and I think that leaves are beautiful because they change colors. Sometimes, changes happen for the better – we just don’t realize it yet.”

“Yeah.” Maddie gazed at the leaf, her expression softening as she admired the subtle artistry created by the leaf’s transition from green to red, from red to gold. Slowly, a warm smile broke out over her face. “You’re right. Sometimes, change is beautiful.” She paused, taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders. “I’m still going to miss you…but I’ll find a way to be optimistic about it. We’ll find a way together.” Grinning, she hugged Anna. We’ll find a way.

We’ll find a way.