Letting go

Alderbury in October

As the leaves begin to dance on the pavements I am reminded that letting go is beautiful.

The colours change as the chlorophyll fades and the trees begin breaking it down to store nutrients for the winter. Yellow and orange carotenoids are revealed, and some trees produce red and purple anthocyanins to create a glorious display in preparation for a dormant season. The old leaves nourish the soil and provide shelter for hibernating insects.

The bare branches and leaves covering the ground remind me that there are times we have to let go in order to prepare space in our lives to receive new things. It is brave to spend a season naked. When I look at a tree reduced to it's bare branches, I can really appreciate it's strength and the shape it has weathered within it's surroundings. I sense a longing to be comforted. Do you really see me? Am I still enough without all the things that I carry?