“Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go.” ~Unknown

There’s nothing quite like Fall in New England.  Neill and I went on a walk at Day Pond Sunday evening.  And as he fished, I took some pictures as the waning light was making the reflections in the water even more beautiful.  The leaves stood out in their varied colors and patterns.  We certainly live in a beautiful place.

Every year, as I observe the leaves falling, I am reminded of the book The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: A Story for All Ages written by Leo Buscaglia.  Dr. Buscaglia wrote the book to help people of all ages process death and the inevitable changes of life.  (And Maureen and I never tire of teasing our parents that one of our favorite books as children ended up being a book about processing death!  Who reads about death to children all the time?  Debbie and Bruce, that’s who.)

Anyway, Freddie is a leaf on a tree in a public park (like Day Pond State Park!) and has many leaf friends on his tree.  His best friend is a leaf named Daniel who was the largest leaf on the limb and seemed to have been there before anyone else.  Daniel is the wisest among them and answers many of Freddie’s questions. 

When Fall comes, Freddie asks why the leaves are different colors when they are on the same tree.  Daniel wisely responds, “Each of us is different.  We have had different experiences.  We have faced the sun differently.  We have cast shade differently.  Why should we not have different colors?”  

When the wind picks up and some of the leaves are torn from the branches, many of the leaves become frightened.  It’s Daniel who tells them that this is what happens in Fall.  “It’s the time for leaves to change their home.  Some people call it to die.” 

The story goes on from there, with Daniel helping Freddie fear not by the time it’s his turn to let go and fall gently to the earth.  Though in the end Freddie “did not know that Spring would follow Winter and that the snow would melt into water.  He did not know that what appeared to be his useless dried self would join with the water and serve to make the tree stronger.  Most of all, he did not know that there, asleep in the tree and the ground, were already plans for new leaves in the Spring.” 

Beginnings and endings.
New life promised. 
Yes, Fall certainly teaches us how beautiful it can be to let things go.

Love,
Pastor Lauren 

(This Week’s Thoughts 10.22.20) 

Photo by Rev. Lauren Lorincz.