From a Leaf's Point of View

"You are a leaf during fall, tell the story."

Fall has begun, they warned me about this, and they told me stories of when the cold begins to creep in. The wind has begun to blow sending chills al around me and the laughter of children has started to fade. Our bright young green color begins to darken into browns, reds and oranges. They warned me about what happens to us when fall makes its yearly visit. We begin to fall off, a jump unprovoked we’d never make. They tell me the old ones fall first, for they are the weakest and have the hardest time holding on.

Slowly one at a time, we lose leaves, we are forced to say goodbye. As the whole process is sad, depressing and heartbreaking to us, I seem to find beauty in it all. Our appearance as we change from bright greens to dull oranges and browns, the soft crisp breeze that coaxes us out of our home and sends us flying and the quiet as the children are no longer outside laughing and playing. Something about the calm before the storm, how everything we feel, hear and see is peaceful all right before we are ripped away. We spend our last nights in the midst of an easy mind; we are calm in both body and mind.

I hang there awake as each one silently falls from the great height of our branch to the ground where they have collected with the fellow leaves. I know my time is soon, I don’t know the day, the hour or the minute but soon, just like all the rest, I will meet fate head on and fall just like all like me have done. I don’t worry; I don’t count the days, stresssing about how I will handle it. I let my mind stay at ease. Falling from my branch high above a farm where the dogs run, horses trot and children laugh is my fate. I will accept it, with dignity. Just like those before and after me, I will invite fate in and we will make the jump together. A jump that can only be made when fate comes as she controls it all.

I can’t say I’m simply excited or simply nervous, I can say I specifically feel one emotion at all, and I seem to feel them all. If I had a choice, would I make the jump? Maybe not, Id want to learn about all that occurs after the trees lose us, what the world looks, feels and sounds like. Then, I am reminded that the jump opens up the tree, giving him the ability to grow and change. He can now produce new leaves when the warm summer comes back around. I’m reminded we all must let go in order to move forward. We must change, adapt and understand that just as our lives are important; our death holds a similar significance. As losing is not something any of us want to encounter, it’s the lessons we learn after that holds true importance.

As I incite fate in, she seems to expect questions, questions I don’t ask, I already understand it. I smile at her, she holds me in her arms and tells me I’m one of the brave ones and that’s how I will be remembered. I feel the crisp chill air send chills down my back. She holds me tighter; it’s this hold that makes me feel wanted and loved. I rest my head on her, mind and body still in total peaces. We are gently lifted and start the decent to the ground; to my amazement, I feel no pain. I only feel the child of the wind carrying us down, so very gently and the warmth of fate as she holds me safe in her arms. My consciousness begins to slip from me and I see dark and then light again. As I see the light, I am securely on the ground and softly planted in a dream world, where all the good in life is awaiting for my exploration.

As a leaf hung high upon of the highest branches, I watch the children laughing and playing, dogs running and chasing toys and horses trolling all about. My life’s purpose was to watch and observe until I’m faced with the realization all good in the world ends. I’m explained I will be taken off the tree where I have lived all my life. I’m not scared or nervous but at peace. I understand I have no choice but to let fate take its course and live out the rest of my days in tranquility. For the life of a leaf ends when fall has come and gone and winter is beginning its takeover.