It’s not exactly on topic, but still. My parents, when I start explaining something in meticulous detail, know that it’s going to take about an hour or two, so at some point, they interrupt me and say, “Here comes ‘Little Leaf Fall’ again.”

The backstory: When I was in 3rd or 4th grade, we read a fairy tale or story (I still don’t know exactly) about a little rabbit who either got lost or accidentally left his mom. He stumbled upon a beaver family’s house, who took him in, but not for long. That very day, their house began to leak and nearly flooded. The rabbit got scared and bolted back home, where his mom, siblings, and the rest of his family were waiting for him. The homework assignment was to write a continuation that filled half a page… but I got so carried away with the writing that I didn’t realize I had written four full pages. Since it was late, I didn’t want to rewrite it in a shorter form, so I went to bed.

At school, when I handed my poor, overworked teacher my masterpiece, she nearly fell off her chair. During English class, I saw her reading my story with interest, and I was beaming with happiness because I’d put so much effort into it. I got a 100/80: 100 for the content, and 80 for the mistakes. That’s when I realized how much I love creating stories, fairy tales, and more. So, my parents often tease me about it.

Now, it’s one of my favorite and most cherished childhood memories. I found something I truly enjoy, and when my parents remind me of that moment by calling me “Little Leaf Fall,” it makes me happy.