Autumn's Confetti

Breathe in the fresh Fall air. The aroma of dried leaves and cooler temperatures. Listen to the sound beneath your feet as you walk along the trails. Crunch, crunch, crunch.

This ground beneath you; these leaves under your feet - once had life but now have let go. Their colors alter from green to orange, yellow, and red. They fall to the earth - Autumn's daily confetti.

Now brown and writhe with decay, the falling leaves foreshadow the emptiness that will come. The trees that will lie bare. It's easy to be saddened by the impending dormant state. Yet much is unseen during this time and many unaware of the preparations at hand. This shedding, this letting go, becomes a necessary act of survival. In order to bear life once more, the tree must draw into itself to foster the nutrients needed to carry it through the Winter season.

"There is in all visible things... a hidden wholeness." - Thomas Merton

In this grand scheme, we too must make way for the Autumnal effects in our lives. We must find ways to cultivate that which nourishes us when life seems dull. Make no mistake, there will be times of dormancy. There will be daily dyings. There will be seasons of decay and seasons of rebirth and growth; times in which we must cut off that which is no longer needed and live into the process of dying. For it is the only way to find wholeness. There is a sense of discovery in this process as we journey to find the resources, the people, the places, the spirit that breathes into us. That which breeds our own vitality and allows us a meaningful existence.

"But when I yield to the endless interplay of living and dying, dying and living, the life I am given will be real and colorful, fruitful and whole." - Parker Palmer