I realized this morning that I believe in magic and wishful
thinking.
I spend many weekends in what I call the “country” and my
kids call the suburbs. You decide – It is a house in Northern Westchester
County in New York State. It’s quiet and a bit woodsy. Coming from New York
City, it is an oasis of calm and nature.
In the mornings I tend to write: blogs, articles, homestudies,
recipes, etc. You name it, I am doing it. I sit in the kitchen when the weather
is cold or inclement and on the back deck when I can.
So, this morning, I am doing my thing from inside. It’s 39
degrees outside and not even Halloween. I shouldn’t complain, at least we don’t
yet have snow or floods or wild fires which they have out west. But, I digress.
I love looking out the big sliding doors as I write. Often
out of my peripheral vision, something will catch my attention. It can be a
squirrel, chipmunk, wild turkey or deer. The deer often wander through between
8-9 am and head back towards their “home” again in the evening.
This morning was no different. Here I am and there they are
the momma and her 2 baby does. Although, there are not babies anymore. They
have grown a lot over the summer, almost as large as she. They walk in a line
across the neighbor’s property, crossing onto ours and then disappear through
the trees.
And that’s when it happened. I realized I was thinking of
them as reindeer. Give me a break – its cold up here.
I don’t believe in Santa, although love the movies about his
workshop and relationship with the elves and the reindeer. And, I know reindeer
are not just a Santa thing, but my mind works that way.
So here I was, smiling to myself that I just saw reindeer,
knowing they are not, wishing they would be – for just a moment…that the magic of my youth would be real. That they
would fly rather than walk. That just thinking about it could make it real.
But, alas they did their usual stroll through the neighborhood.
The magic was real. Anytime I see them, I am in awe. Nature
at its finest. I worry about them being hit by cars or freezing in the winter.
I remember the year a neighbor chased them away with a slingshot. I was appalled.
I am an animal lover. If you’ve read my other blogs, you
know that. I was raised with a series of pets, starting with fish and moving on
up through hamsters, gerbils, birds, baby chickens and finally a dog. In my
single adult life, I had cats and dogs. With my kids came any class pet that
needed a vacation home, including tadpoles, frogs, turtles and guinea pigs – all
which led to being owners of guinea pigs
(not 2 males as told) but the proud mom of a male and female and their 4
babies. We have had a series of dogs and my older daughter has a horse.
So adding spectator wildlife should not surprise you. But flying reindeer?
They say, you won’t believe something until you see it
yourself. They also say you can’t discount something because you have never
experienced it. I didn’t think adoption would work and it did. I never thought
I would be a mom and I am. . I know reindeer don’t fly, but what if they did?
Kathy Ann Brodsky, LCSW is a New York and New Jersey licensed social worker, adoptive mom and advocate for ethical adoption practice. She has prepared thousands of adoption homestudies, counseled adoptive parents and parents-to-be, and has trained professionals to work with adoptive families. She was Director of the Ametz Adoption Program from March 1992 to March 2015. She is Head Writer for Adoption.net, member of the Adoption Advisory Board of Path2Parenthood and has a private practice in New York City. She was a member of the Advisory Board for POV’s Adoption Series and named an “Angel in Adoption” by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption in 2001. Follow or reach her at ADOPTION MAVEN BLOG or EMAIL.
