Much of the United States suffered through a long, hot summer, with landscapes suffering from the heat and drought conditions.
As homeowners anxiously await the arrival of autumn, so do the lawns, trees, and shrubs that have endured the harsh stress of Mother Nature over the last few months.
With some trees, and even lawns, protecting themselves from the elements by entering dormancy early this season, it won’t be long before leaves begin to wither away on branches before falling to the ground.
This phenomenon of nature is not often appreciated by the many homeowners and businesses who view them more as a chore. We see them as nothing more than a “mess” to tend to—an inconvenience that often costs us time or labor to properly rid ourselves of.
Before long, leaves will begin to blanket properties across the country and weekends will be spent racking and blowing the lifeless foliage into large piles and bags.
But what if we looked at this marvel as something more than just a chore, but rather a simply beautiful miracle of nature.
Their marvelous array of colors; their comforting and sometimes indescribable scent; their sound as we journey along sidewalks and pathways. We’re so quick to dispose of the fallen leaves that we rarely spend any time truly admiring them.
Dr. Amit Ray, an Indian author and spiritual master, says, “In every change, in every falling leaf there is some pain, some beauty. And that’s the way new leaves grow.”
Nature’s beauty is all around us this time of year—a miracle cornucopia of colors and smells that shows its true beauty in its demise.
Instead of perceiving this natural event as a nuisance, we should be taking time to admire the wonder that it is, allowing it to serve as a reminder of eternal endurance.
