In the Flow with Healing Waters

A few weeks ago, I was looking out the window watching the leaves falling and dancing with the wind. Some of them fell alone, then met up with others twirling together and making circles as if you could see the wind carrying them. 

I noticed a lot of the trees stood naked as most of their leaves had dropped off.

The oak trees seem to hang onto their leaves a little longer than the elms, and maples. On this particular windy day, it was the oak leaves that danced and swirled in the wind.

This reminded me of a comment a dear friend made to me many years ago. He asked me, “do the leaves fall or are they pushed off the tree”? This friend was a quiet and gentle man, he was native American and had such insight that I loved having conversations with him.

He went on to explain that the buds on the tree start to form in the fall and this helps the leaf release and fall from the branch of the tree. 

I began to ponder what lesson can I learn from this experience of watching the leaves dancing through the air with the wind deciding which direction they would go.

What came to mind immediately was that each season offers the tree a new experience.

In the spring sap begins to flow as it is pumping new life into the tree, from a bare branch buds form, new leaves emerge, the tree branches become lush with color, and they bring a new season of life and growth to the tree.

In the summer the tree stands in its glory, beginning to stretch taller toward the sun, offering beauty and shade, a haven for wildlife. The tree typically has a long life and each year it lives through all kinds of conditions: heavy winds and storms, droughts, soaking rain falls. By the end of summer, it has grown to its full potential for this season, enduring whatever comes its way.

Autumn is a noticeable transition time, the leaves turn from green to a magical array of colors of different shades of gold, orange, red. In a short time, all of the trees begin to let go of the past season and drop their leaves or needles. They don’t try to hold on to the past season, it simply releases the old and continues getting ready for the next season and its cycle of life.

Then winter comes and it is time to be still, dormant and rest. Its stretched out limbs get ready to hold the snow, and ice, a place for a bird to rest and sun bath on those cold sunny days. After a long winter the tree begins to get ready for its spring cycle again. And so the cycle of life is present, each year this happens.

Have you ever had a time when you notice the simple things in life, and what it symbolizes for you, there is new awareness and meaning that awaits your curiosity. 

For me on this fall day it was to enjoy the lush times in my life, move when the wind blows and remain stable even if life is giving me a hard blow, and if I am not feeling strong it is okay. It shows me to let go when I no longer need to hold on. Allowing the natural flow of life and that it is perfectly fine to not hang on. Let go of those things that are really not important, it is okay to not hang on. 

Learn to be still and enjoy peace within. Notice that I am good enough at any moment, and if I am not feeling that, then why? 

It is interesting to me that my cycles of life have brought me every emotion. Many experiences bring me joy and others sorrow, sometimes I am open and flowing and at times I am closed and stuck. Each of these moments are part of my human experience that make up my life. 

I am noticing how I react and act in each moment, either making me feel open and happy or tight, closed and stuck. I am practicing and continuing to learn. I would love to be able to  say I am always open and loving but the truth is I am finding the most subtle closing to not resonate with me and notice the feeling I have in my body when I do this. I am a work in progress, I am practicing grace for myself and others.  I desire to shift like the wind and in a moment create harmony within me.

And to think, I learned this while watching oak leaves fall from the sky. 

Are there new awarenesses in your everyday life that you have not noticed until today?

What have you noticed?  

In the flow, in the present time and having fun taking it all in,

Denise