My Two Writing Teachers colleagues and I are hosting the 14th Annual March Slice of Life Story Challenge, in which teachers from around the world participate in posting a story per day.
There’s a road I drive often called Pleasant Valley Road. It is aptly name. There is a stretch of several miles that provides a gorgeous panoramic view of Mt. Mansfield on one side of the road, and on the other side are rolling hills, farmhouses, and sugar shacks. Sometimes tourists drive down Pleasant Valley Road just for fun—it’s that beautiful.
I often see deer, wild turkeys, and all kinds of wildlife when I am driving Pleasant Valley early in the morning or at dusk. A few weeks ago, right around sunset I was driving past a picture perfect Vermont farm—the hills, fields, and forests covered in deep billowing snow. Despite the beautiful evening, I was feeling pretty down, actually. I had just been diagnosed with melanoma, was a new medication that had me feeling gross, had a pretty stressful work day, and hadn’t been sleeping much. Even though I was on my way to hike and night ski with friends, I wasn’t really feeling up to it.
But then something magical happened. I rounded a sharp corner in the road, and sitting in the snow field looking right at me was a gorgeous red fox. Her fur practically glowed red against the white snow in the setting sun.
I slowed down immediately to get a better look. Just as I pulled onto the shoulder of the road, the fox scampered forward, chasing something I couldn’t see. A mouse beneath the snow, maybe? Then, she leapt high into the air, and then dove gracefully, nose first into the snow, just like I had seen in nature documentaries. She emerged, face covered comically with snow. She shook the snow off, sat gracefully, and wrapped her tail wrapped around her, with a flourish.
I could have sat in my car and watched her all night. She was magical. It felt like she was a sign. What did it mean?
But, I was already running a few minutes late for my friends, and the sun was setting. Reluctantly, I drove away.
But her magic stayed with me.