Although it’s an October Evening…

“Take a deep breath. In this uneventful wonderland, you’ll forget everything: family’s quarrels, school, bad days, exhaustion, and everything you’ve been struggling with. Just go to your kitchen and knock on the table three times. You will not regret it, I promise!”

Olivia just read that on a green piece of paper that magically appeared on her wet pillow after she cried herself to sleep last night. She reread it at least a hundred times throughout the day, trying to understand who it was from, why she’d gotten the note, and what it all meant. When Olivia finally returned from school, she decided to follow the instructions on the note she’d received.

After making sure no one was home, she sat down on the chair at the kitchen table and knocked on the wood three times.

Suddenly Olivia felt that she was no longer in her home, but in a place unknown to her. The room was cozy. The walls of the sunlit room were covered with houseplants on the brown wooden shelves. The windows were wide open. The wind blew on the white lace curtains. The room was filled with sunlight and its warm, almost gentle touch. Olivia was fascinated by this magical space that immediately made her feel at peace. The girl sat down on the sage green couch and let herself sink into the cushions. Then she noticed a teapot and tea cups flying across the room to her and green tea was being poured from the teapot into the cup. She was so amazed at everything that was happening.

Without questioning anything, Olivia simply admitted that she was blessed with this wonderful escape from reality. “Indeed, this is an uneventful wonderland,” she thought to herself and giggled. As she sipped her jasmine tea, she closed her eyes and tried to describe the feelings she was experiencing.

It was as if no words were appropriate for this situation. Until Olivia had an epiphany.

“Golden!” Olivia screamed with excitement. Everything was golden. Golden tea. Golden sun. Golden moment. It felt like August 17th in the early morning.

For a while, she just enjoying what she had in the moment without worrying about anything. But the more time passed, the more thoughts came to her mind. How long have I been here? Has anyone noticed my disappearance? How will I get back home? Then, within seconds, the whole room began to change. The plants turned into a green blur that became whiter and whiter, the magic teapot flew away and the room lost all its golden colors. Olivia found herself at home near the table. She even saw her knuckles on the dark wood, as if she’d been standing there all along.

Then she found another mysterious note. On it was written, “You’re used to using your thoughts as a weapon against yourself. But now you’ve discovered that they can also be a cure. Allow yourself to use your imagination and your thoughts to help you, not harm you.”

She smiled and vowed to herself that she’d always remember this day. That doesn’t mean magic solved all her problems. Now she knows that no matter what happens, she’ll always feel better as if it were a morning in August 17th.