My one-year-old granddaughter and I took a nature walk today. She toddled beside me, holding my hand. She was wearing a pink and red striped shirt, pink leggings, and purple converse (spotted with pastel polka dots). With the backdrop of early fall, Blair Louise stood out like a spring flower.

Walking is new to her. Butterflies are new to her. A bird hopping on the sidewalk thrills her. She can’t contain her joy when she spots a squirrel carrying a walnut in its mouth. We stop often. She lets go of my hand to point out an ant scurrying through a crack in the pavement. She props her dimpled hands on her chubby knees and watches.

We sit in the grass, and she adds a curling brown leaf to the bright blue shopping bag we brought along to carry our treasures.

After much searching, we find a yellow leaf, a rust-colored stone, and a pinecone exactly the right size for Blair to hold in her hand. We go inside, a bit of nature on our hands, in our hair, on our shoes…in our hearts. This is my 56th autumn; but thanks to Blair Louise, it seems brand new.