Stella meets a mystery...

We've all got to slow down. All this rushing around, being so busy, making lists, making lists of lists, is putting the kibosh on a lot of opportunities. While we're making check marks beside names, then adding up the marks to be certain we have given an equal number of gifts to each one, that there isn't too big a disparity in what we've spent, there are wonderful things going on. And we're missing them.

Just last night I had an amazing experience and I only saw it because I made myself be quiet. Darkness had fallen. A light snow fell past the windows and in the distance I saw brilliant little lights shivering among trees in the forest.

Everyone else was asleep, even the furry ones. The silence became so intense I could hear it! And then came the sound of music made by wind playing with pine needles, riffling them, pinging them, stroking them until they sang.

While I watched, drawn outside by I knew not what, small folk in blue velvet suits with diamond buttons, rolled down tree trunks to the snow-covered forest floor, and they began to dance. Whirling and twirling, their fine gold hair flying about their heads, they trailed diaphanous ribbons of rainbow colors from their heels.

Do you know, they didn't actually touch the snow. They floated not more than an inch above, laughing, turning somersaults, and kissing cheeks.

From the sky fell glittering balls, pink, yellow, pale green, purple, and each one encrusted with sugar. The little folk opened their mouths and plucked the sugar plums from the air. They chewed and made mmmm noises and rolled their eyes and smiled.

That was when the whistle blew.

So quickly I hardly saw them move, those folk made smart lines and stood at attention, each one with a hand in a sharp salute.

They didn't stop chewing and the sugarplums kept piling up on top of the snow.

Bells rang. Not just bell bells, but music-making bells ringing higher and higher in songs so perfect, the little folk cried. And so did I.

In the silvered dark haze above the trees a tiny shape appeared--a long, long way away. The songs grew louder and sweeter. The vision got bigger.

I jumped and clapped my hands with joy. And I was afraid, too.

What happened then, do you suppose?

How am I changed today?

Do you think magic came to the Great Green Forest, or was I asleep and dreaming?

With love at Christmas,