The Cycle of the Tree

Saturday, August 28, 2010

It was the first signs of autumn. Cool, sunny days with slightly chilly nights. The trees were letting go of their foliage one leaf at a time and the squirrels had started their gathering dance as they raced to collect their winter stash. “Yes, winter is not far,” she thought as a single leaf fell past her window.

Watching as it traveled downward in a slow, gentle sway, back and forth, she knew. In her heart she knew; it was looking for a softer place to fall. “Has the tree even noticed you are gone?” she questioned. To her, the leaf paid no mind and now lay solely on the ground.

She continued to stare upon the lonely leaf, wishing somehow it could speak. Imaginary tales of spring storms and how the wind had come to call. Tales of green glory and of summer heat; this leaf had been the shadow that had offered her relief. Now she stood there longing for the words from a single fallen leaf.

Try as she might, the journey of that individual leaf would not leave her mind. Something inside was trying to make her believe the tree did not know the leaf was gone. She glanced at the tree but the tree just stood majestic. It did not bend a branch or even bow its head. “How shallow of that tree,” she thought and another leaf floated past.

Eyes still fixed, she now had two leaves lying on the ground below her window. Compassion and sorrow filled her heart as she gazed upon the fallen leaves. “Why had the tree let go so easy, not even noticed you were gone and can there really be a softer place to fall?”

She was now questioning both the leaves and the tree. One she thought so vain and shallow for not noticing what had gone. The other she felt compassion and sorrow for, just searching for that softer place to fall.

Suddenly, without notice a sense of understanding started to take hold. “I have been here before,” she thought. There was no need for assuming such emotions; it is merely, “the cycle of the tree.”

The analogy here is that we are the leaves and the tree is our lives. We all float through life in a gentle back forth motion just coping with our own cycle of the tree.

If we allow people to come into our lives and then allow them to leave without extending a kind hand or even turn our heads, we will become that shallow tree.

I say this as a reminder. Out there, right in your own community are leaves that have fallen. People who no longer can float on a journey, they are grounded. The elderly, the shut-ins, just lonely leaves. I urge you to reach out, make time,  pop in and visit, those who are searching for “a softer place to fall.”


Artwork by: Karnamrita @ PhotoBucket


12 comments:

Summer Ross said, 

This was a sweet post. I enjoyed the descriptions within your story about the leaves flowing to the ground.

August 28, 2010 at 10:57 AM  
The Words Crafter said, 

That was such a lovely analogy! And insightful....well done and good advice.

August 28, 2010 at 11:12 AM  
RHYTHM AND RHYME said, 

Very well written and some good advice. I hope you have a wonderful week-end.
I have spent most of the day with my daughter, son and 4 grandchildren, we all went to the park and had a lovely time,

Take care.
Yvonne.

August 28, 2010 at 11:28 AM  
Glynis Peters said, 

A beautiful piece of writing. Food for thought.

August 28, 2010 at 12:28 PM  
Unknown said, 

What a nice reminder and you did with the example of trees and leaves. You're so talented.

CD

August 28, 2010 at 1:05 PM  
Corine Moore said, 

That is such a good reminder. Life gets busy, and it really does take a conscious effort to notice and reach out to those who need it most. For some odd reason the thought just popped into my mind that it is so easy to love compassionate people; the challenge is. loving those who are uncompassionate. But when people receive compassion, it grows within them and they too become more compassionate. (Sorry if I rambled!)

August 28, 2010 at 3:20 PM  
Mary@GigglesandGuns said, 

Jules, this is absolutely beautiful.
You provide many thoughts for an evening on the sun porch.

August 28, 2010 at 5:46 PM  
T. Powell Coltrin said, 

Very beautiful and symbolic. Good job. I loved it.

Teresa

August 28, 2010 at 6:34 PM  
Arlee Bird said, 

I have sometimes been guilty of just that. It's difficult sometimes to keep up with every friend and relative and, sadly, when they are gone forever there is nothing more you can do. I've tried, but time and distance sometimes makes it difficult.

Lee
Tossing It Out

August 28, 2010 at 9:31 PM  
unnamed lad said, 

hi, saw your comment on Lee's tossing it out and decided to check you out. i enjoyed reading yesterday's post as well as today. normally, i'm not one to poke my head out so quickly and follow others but just put'm in my bookmarks and read. but two wonderful, thoughtful, and genuine posts is a bit difficult to ignore. plus your pictures of your "kids" up in the upper right hand corner confirmed it:)

August 29, 2010 at 9:05 AM  
Tammy said, 

Wonderful and so true! Great analogy.

August 31, 2010 at 4:27 PM  
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