MIDWEEK MESSAGE – October 23, 2024

I love October in Connecticut.  Each day I discover new trees going through their cycle of change.  People come from all over to see the leaves change in New England.  It is a busy time for local businesses as people come to do some leaf-peeping. 

Have you ever done serious leaf-watching in the fall?  One year at Vision Farms, I was sitting by a window and noticed that the sycamore tree in front of the porch was beginning to turn color.  I decided to spend time every morning watching the tree through its changes.  

What I noticed is that all the leaves changed color at different times. Some stayed green longer, some turned to a beautiful red or yellow and stayed that way for a while, and some turned so quickly that they were on the tree fairly green one day and then fell off the next day. 

Some leaves hung onto the tree for a long time.  While watching the tree I realized that humans are similar to the leaves because some people will cling to the past longer than others.  It does not make one way or another right or wrong.  Like the leaves, we all do things in our own time and way.  However, no matter what category we are in, at one time or another, we all have to change, to let go of what was so we can be ready to meet what is yet to be.

When the leaves fall, the tree appears dead, but it is just preparing for its next life phase. Like leaves, change can seem painful or negative, but we don’t experience new beginnings until we let go of what was and accept what is and what is to come.

One of my favorite sayings is the only thing we can count on in life is that things change. When we embrace that Truth, life becomes easier to accept for what it is.

Quote of the Week

“Autumn teaches us the beauty of letting go.  Growth requires release – it’s what the trees do.”

Ka’ala, @alohakaala