The Falling Leaf Perspective.
A single leaf is all it takes. That first leaf, tumbling and twisting downwards, warning not only of many more to come, but of the changing of the season from summer into fall.
As the sun retreats, and the winter signals its approach, the leaves fall like rain. The stronger the wind, the faster they descend in multi-colored splendor that decorates the ground in a crisp, crinkling blanket of color, warmth and comfort.
And a reminder, that another season has changed.
As I watch the leaves this year, I feel like each one is a reminder of a year gone by, a chance not taken, an experienced missed, a moment of life than can never be returned.
As the leaves settle on the earth, I see a pattern of life discarded and forgotten, as the tree has moved on from the leaves it grew with such abandon.
So often do we do the same with the days for which we have waited.
How long have you planned, fought, saved and struggled for a day in the future that may be as brief as the passage of the falling leaf? If we are not careful, we spend our days struggling to reach a tomorrow that we may never achieve, or find that it is over all too quickly.
The falling leaf teaches me that life is short, and I should take the time each day to find joy, gratitude and forgiveness.
But the lessons of the leaf are far from over.
For each leaf is also a testament to the beauty and majesty of nature’s creation. While the leaves may differ in color, in size, and in shape, they are all perfect in their own way.
And so I realize that each person, like each leaf, has value beyond measure, and is perfect in their sphere. Maybe, like the leaf, they are one of many, yet I can notice the individual and find value and perfection in the person, despite their tendency to disappear into the crowd.
A single leaf, like a single life, is a revelation, and a reminder.
As you approach this season change, I invite you to spend a few minutes outdoors, and if you can, find a pile of leaves to walk through. Allow the sound, smell and sensation to carry you back to a childhood memory, and once again view the world with wonder and awe.
For each leaf is an emblem, an epiphany, and an epitaph.
The emblem of the seasons changing, the epiphany of the magnitude of your life, and the epitaph of all that has gone before, never to return. If you allow it, a single leaf can fill your soul with gratitude, and allow you to see anew all that surrounds you in its glory.
A single leaf, a single life.
Make of it what you desire.
— Dr. Alan Barnes
@maddrbmusings