Talk Without Speaking

Vancouver really tries its best and, if you didn’t know any better, you might end up being really impressed with the display of fall colours here. If, on the other hand, you grew up in the Gatineau Park in Quebec, you might see the effort, think of where the real colours are, and get really homesick.

Unfortunately I fall into the latter category. There are two times of year that never fail to make me massively homesick. The first is right now, the middle of fall with Halloween approaching. Halloween has always been a big deal in Skyridge and continues to be despite my generation of children having scattered far further than all of these leaves. We’re continually amazed by how many children show up every year for the neighborhood party and I, for one, am convinced that these are simply wood elves attracted by the light of the bonfire through the woods. I lived in those woods for 20 years and I can assure you - they are there.

The good news is that I’m heading home for Halloween this year and I’ll be there to welcome the elves as they emerge from the darkness of the forest into the light of my fire. Whereas they are familiar to me I’m scared of what I might find at home this time; what might be changed, what might be lost.