The Unicorn Collector

“Everything today has been heavy and brown. Bring me a Unicorn to ride about the town.” ~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh

When I was kid, I collected unicorns—trinkets, books, and pictures. In fact, like most children, I was enthralled by anything magical. Or that I deemed magical.

The Reading Unicorn

My first fascination was sea horses.

After my kindergarten graduation, my then sister-in-law treated me to an outing at the aquarium in Boston. I was the flower girl after all.

There, I discovered sea horses.

How could these tiny creatures with the head of a horse and a tail like a fish, be anything other than magical? My 5-year-old mind saw no other possibility.

If there are sea horses, then of course… mermaids. Ah, but this is a topic for another day. Another post…

Soon, though, I discovered unicorns. A legendary creature with the head of a horse—this seems to have been a theme for the younger me. Sometimes depicted with the tail of a lion, the mythical animal had cloven hoofs and a magical, spiraling horn.

Throughout history, these creatures have shown up in popular literature. They are purported to have been lost after not making it on to Noah’s Ark. Their horns were said to have healing qualities and the docile creatures were drawn to purity.

I frankly was about everything unicorn and still have most of my trinkets, cards, books, and mementos tucked away in my box of keepsakes. One such memento is a note from my mother with the quote by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. She had seen it in a book one day while working, written it out on a scrap of salmon colored paper. A simple gift for me to let me know how often she thought of me.

I cherish this note—even more so, the memory. I lost my mother to Alzheimer’s in 2014. I miss her terribly and when the missing becomes that unbearable ache, I take out this scrap of paper and smile at this piece of her I will have with me always.

Until next time, cherish your memories and the magic.

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About the Author

Minnesota-based author, Joie Lesin is a life-long fiction writer and the author of The Passenger. She has long been fascinated by anything otherworldly including ghosts. She loves to write a good ghost story—especially when it includes a touch of romance.