The Red Chair in the Woods

Outside my window lies a small but beautiful forest...a lovely, dense glade of leafy green trees, bushes and vines that are home to deer, rabbits, wild turkeys--each one as big as a Volkswagon and a few sly red foxes. In the summer, the canopy is so thick that I cannot see beyond the perimeter of emerald foliage. But when fall arrives, the forest puts on a spectacular color show...an extravaganza of brilliant reds and yellows and oranges that rival a sunset. Now, it is mid November and the autumn leaves have all fallen. Suddenly, a wondrous and magical new view of the secluded inner woods unfolds before my eyes.


As soon as the trees had shed their leaves, I spied it from my window. At first all I could see was a glimmer of red. The red color stood out amidst the dark browns and grays of the leafless trees.  I looked through my window closely, but still could not make out what this odd red thing was in the middle of the woods. Finally I was able to identify the peculiar object. It was a red chair...a bright red Adirondeck chair perched smack in the middle of the woods. This is very strange indeed because this particular woods is not an area that people walk through. It's private property. There are no trails, no picnic tables, no bike paths. It's strictly a pretty wooded glenn on the edge of our condo development that offers refuge to wild animals. So I was amazed to see something as civilized as a chair smugly occupying space there.


It's been about 2 weeks since I first spotted the red chair. And I like it. I'm glad it's there. I find it almost inspiring to see the cheerful red color peek out amidst the bleakness of the woodland's winter gloom. I hope it stays there all winter. Just last week, I noticed one of our neighbors strolling through the woods with his toddler grandson. This is very unusual. Nobody ever goes into this woods. But it was a good sign. The grandfather and his grandson shuffled through the forest floor of fallen leaves and decayed tree stumps and eventually came upon the red chair. I think they were as surprised as I was to discover it. The little boy hoisted himself up and plopped into the chair while the grandfather knelt beside him quietly talking. Then the little boy got out of the chair and motioned for grandfather to sit down. Once the man was seated, the little tyke curled himself into grandpa's lap and the two of them sat together for several minutes...almost as if they were pondering the silence of the forest. After a while, they sauntered off hand-in-hand, having shared a special bonding moment in the red chair in the woods.


Today, I gaze out my window in front of my computer desk and again I see the red chair in the woods. It looks a bit lonely...all by itself out there among the tall, barren trees and the wild creatures. But I think it's happy out there. I think it likes being one with nature...a restful repose in the shrouded inner sanctum of the forest. To me, it's like a reminder that even in the darkest of times, a bright spot appears when you least expect it. I'm guessing most of our neighbors don't know about the red chair in the woods. For the very few of us who have seen it, it's like our special little secret.....I'd like to keep it that way. Sphere: Related Content