The Changing Leaves of Fall

Fall has arrived here in the midwest.  You can feel it in the air and see it in the leaves as they change color.  Each season brings with it a new sense of beauty, and change - but Autumn captures something else.  It brings a sense of joy and a sense of sadness - joy for it's vivid beauty, and sadness for it's brevity.

We want to capture it's loveliness for the time we have it.  We collect leaves and save them to look at later.  We take long walks in the woods, and drives in the country. We wake up earlier in the fall, because the days are getting shorter, and we want to savor each moment.  After the long, carefree days of summer, fall seems to be a season more centered on family, friends, and home.  There is a sense of reflection, and also a sense of renewal.

Perhaps at times, we follow nature in our inclinations.  We pause with the season.  We are allowed a brief time of reflection at the beauty God has given us on earth.  But, even as there is a certain stillness, it is not stagnant.  There is change everywhere.  And, it is this change that inspires our love for Autumn. It has always been a wonder to me that right before a tree loses its leaves, it is at the height of its grandeur.

Perhaps there is a message in this season for us to make note of.  I was just thinking about how change is painful, but it is necessary.  It also produces something very beautiful.  If the leaves did not have to fall, they would not die and produce their vibrant collage of color.  All of this makes room for the new.  We can begin to "leave" behind some of the old, to make room for the new.  And, in the process, just like the tree that loses its leaves, something beautiful will happen.   

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Comments

[auntieb]

This may be the most fun I've ever had on a web site... I've laughed out loud on more than one occasion. I just love the fact that you are sharing your warm and touching reflections along with decorating ideas, funny stories, and "medical" advice! (I realize you are not a real doctor, but I think you may be smarter than the one I go to!) Please keep on giving us glimpses of your friends, family, and your hilarious paint "addiction." I feel like I am slowly making a new friend here. Keep up the good work and I will certainly be checking back in with you on a regular basis.