Things Happen For a Reason

by Lisi Mauch

When I was a child, I used to hear my mother say, “Things happen for a reason.” Through the years, I grew up and experienced different situations that taught, helped, and guided me in life. Even when things did not turn out as expected, I learned something.
I remember once, when I was eleven, my father sent me to buy bread. I was walking to the bakery when I heard noises coming from a wooden box underneath a beautiful, purple, blooming Jacaranda tree. Curious, I went over to see what it was. In spite of something else my mother always said “do not touch anything weird!” I opened it. A frightened green iguana appeared on the edge. Poor little creature! It was staring at me and I could feel its fear. What a coincidence! A week before, I had been watching a documentary program about different kinds of tropical animals. The iguana was one of them. I looked at it and realized that the iguana had tied on its left leg a little piece of paper. I sat down on the sidewalk and took the paper.
Suddenly, a cold breeze ran through my entire body. The paper was old and the blurred letters were hard to read. “Don’t be afraid of thunder, lightning or shadows in the night. They’ll go in the twinkling of an eye. Enjoy every single day, make each day special. The best things are coming.” I took the box and ran directly to my house to show my parents my new friend. When I opened it, nothing was there! I cried because I couldn’t understand what could have happened to my recent friend. After a while, I recalled my mother’s words, “Things happen for a reason.” Actually, something magical happened that day.
That night, my little brother Alejandro, asked me to read him a book, but I decided to make up a story instead. As I began it, a lightning bolt crossed the porch and thunder made me jump from my brother’s bed. Something had happened! We ran through the kitchen straight to the porch. Flabbergasted, my brother and I could not believe what we were seeing. The Jacaranda tree was in the middle of the backyard and underneath it, the wooden box. Suddenly, the box opened and the iguana appeared. My little brother and I could not move when the iguana came to us. “Don’t be afraid. My name is Arturo and I want to play with you!” While its long tail moved from one side to the other, each branch of the Jacaranda tree turned magically into a different thing, a space shuttle, a roller coaster, a fun house, and a huge carousel. In a few seconds, the backyard became an amusement park.
That night was the most beautiful, unforgettable and funniest moment we had. Alejandro and I played and enjoyed every minute of the most remarkable time of our lives. We played until we fell asleep. The next morning, when we woke up, neither the Jacaranda tree nor the iguana was there, only my brother and I.
For many years, Alejandro and I decided not to tell anybody about that night because we knew that no one neither our parents nor our friends would believe what happened. But one day, while I was looking for a family picture for school in my mother’s drawer, I saw a drawing. There was a purple, blooming Jacaranda tree with a box underneath. But in the middle of the drawing there were two people. A girl and a boy were holding hands. My parents!
I was twelve years old the day I found my mother’s drawing and I learned that it doesn’t matter how old you are, you can keep alive an experience, a story, or a dream. Even being old we never have to give up the child we have inside. I understand now what my mother really meant when she said “things happen for a reason.” After that magical night, I stopped being afraid of lightning, thunder and shadows. Although magic iguanas and Jacaranda trees only exist in the minds of children, they allow my brother and me to dream together. Since that night we created an unconditional bond as well as my parents has that can never be taken away.