We had a spell of unusually nice weather this past weekend. So late on Saturday afternoon I decided to do a little raking. The sky was a bright blue in color, allowing the sun to shine through the now orange and yellow maple trees. After a short time, I gave in to the futility of raking while so many leaves remained on the trees and settled in with Gracie on my garden bench. We sat there for the longest time, watching the breeze shake loose the leaves from the branches. It reminded me of large yellow and orange snowflakes that swirl in the breeze and land gently to the ground. There was little noise in the neighborhood, the ear piercing screams of leaf blowers and mowers had finally done their work and returned to garages and storage buildings. Only the chatter of squirrels and the singing of chickadees and woodpeckers remained.
My imagination ran wild. Lit by the bright sun rays, the autumnal colors in the trees and on the ground gave my yard a rich golden feel. I felt like a princess in a castle adorned by colorful jewels of topaz, rubies and emeralds. As I reveled in the moment, I realized that this was a gift that no amount of money could have bought. I had done nothing special except to be open and present to the beauty of the moment.
My perspective about autumn has changed. The fallen leaves are no longer a nuisance to be daily raked and carried to the back recesses of my yard. They are nature’s quilt, there to provide insulation to the tender vegetation of summer and to the winter homes of insects, birds and mammals. Over the long cold months of winter they will decompose back into the soil, providing nourishment for the spring to come. What a beautiful and magical cycle of life.
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