I often write about supernatural characters in my stories.  As a child, I firmly believed that faeries, sprites, and other magical creatures lurked behind every tree in a veil of reality just beyond our immediate line of sight.  I imagined that I would glimpse a momentary reflection of a water sprite playing in the mist drifting from a waterfall, or hear a giggle and the buzz of tiny wings near my ear as a faerie darted just beyond my peripheral vision.  I was convinced that the arrangement of certain flora and fauna in a corner of the yard or along hiking trails were evidence of gifted hands tending a magical garden.

I am delighted to see this spirit of fantastical possibilities continue with my own children.  My four-year-old daughter told me a few days ago that elves had visited her room while she slept.  As proof, she held up what looked to be a little doll purse, and told me, “See Mommy, one left his suitcase behind.”