“Oh God, make me an autumn tree if I must die.” – Esther Popel
As I looked out my front window this week, I witnessed the blazing scarlet leaves of my Japanese Maple tree. Excited to experience this gift sensorily, I stepped outside and let the color wash over me and fill me with its life force. In that moment, I reflected on the beauty and transitory nature of life itself.
Through an act of divine synchronicity, I was talking with a friend and he shared a similar experience with walking through a magnificent golden leaf pile and feeling overcome with its beauty. He reflected on the leaf’s life cycle and how he had read somewhere that it mimics our human process of life and death. He told me that when he thought of all the leaves on the ground, he saw that their journey was similar to our own capacity to lead meaningful lives with our limited time on earth.
In the natural world, cycles perpetuate life, such as the changing seasons, which reflect healthy growth or transformation. Having a conscious awareness of participating in the cyclical transformations of life affords us a spiritual clarity that promotes healing and a sense of wholeness. There is an amazing sense of peace that comes with knowing that we all move through such life and death cycles throughout our lives and with every transition bringing the uncertain and unpredictable opportunity for change.
The cycle of life – nature teaches it best. It is part of life we can’t escape but can come to peace with. There truly is a beautiful rhythm to it all! xox