The leaves are falling quickly now and many of the trees whose beauty I cherished days ago are now bare. The river birch tree that we planted in the back yard turned golden on Saturday and today half of its leaves are on the ground. Seeing this and all of the leaves on the deck this morning made me pause to think.
Do I value these trees less now that their colorful leaves have fallen?
My knee jerk reaction was, of course not. But when I looked more deeply I wondered. So I am taking
A Pause for Presence
Instead of rushing around trying to take in all of the colors before they are gone, today I am staying put in my own back yard. And I am sending love and appreciation to all of the life that surrounds me, even the life I cannot see or that I don’t usually appreciate.
Thank you to the bacteria, fungi, viruses, and often maligned creatures that make our lives possible. And to the mosquitoes, box elder bugs, yellow jackets, ants, worms, and other six-leggeds that inhabit our world. Everything is connected and without these creatures we would not survive.
The pond behind our house is a giant petri dish cycling and recycling whatever lands in it. In it turtles and frogs thrive. Dragonflies swoop and sweep over it in mid-summer catching insects bred in its waters. Ducks and geese feed on things that grow in the pond’s water. Looking out today the pond reflects the colorful trees and grasses that surround it. Fallen leaves dot its surface soon to become fertilizer for other life in the pond.
After the rain and wind last night our deck was covered with leaves. Though the nearest oak tree is across the pond one way and down the street another way I found a perfect oak leaf on the deck this morning along with countless other types of leaves.
I could view the leaf covered deck as another mess to clean up. But its beautiful to me. I have spent so much time out on the deck swinging in the porch swing and soaking up the sights, sounds, and sensual feelings of being out in nature. Each day that I can, I spend at least a few minutes on the deck simply appreciating being alive in the midst of all this beauty.
It is a gift to be alive each day
Every season brings its own gifts
Ten thousand flowers in spring, the moon in autumn,
a cool breeze in summer, snow in winter.
If your mind isn’t clouded by unnecessary things,
this is the best season of your life.
— “Ten Thousand Flowers in Spring” by Wu-Men, The Enlightened Heart: An Anthology of Sacred Poetry
May you walk in beauty
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