"Nothing is holier, nothing is more exemplary than a beautiful, strong tree." — Hermann Hesse
I am fascinated with trees.
I have an interpretation of the tree of life tattooed on my right forearm.
I like to take pictures of and with majestic looking trees (like this one I found in LA).
And I love admiring the changing colors of the leaves during this time of year.
Last Monday I drove to Ohio to visit my family.
And as I made my way across I-80 West, I was surrounded by beautiful shades of yellow, red, pink and orange.
It reminded me of a conversation I had with a woman (a fellow tree lover) while in LA a few weeks ago.
We were talking about all the things trees symbolized for us and she said,
"I love the line 'Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go'."
I thought about that line as I admired the changing leaves all around me.
How something so beautiful was also foreshadowing difficulty ahead.
Cold temperatures, darkness, bare branches.
Yet despite the challenges of winter, spring will come again.
And along with it vibrancy, hope and renewal.
But none of that can happen without the leaves falling first.
So often we yearn for that "spring" feeling.
We want a new, thriving, better life.
But we aren't willing to shed our leaves.
We aren't willing to let go of the relationships that have run their course,
Or the habits and beliefs that are no longer serving us,
Even though these are the things that are holding us back from sprouting new life.
We trick ourselves into thinking we can have springtime without enduring the pains of winter.
But we need to let go of the past in order to reinvent ourselves.
We need to let the old self die so that the new self can be reborn.
It might not look so pretty when our branches are bare,
And it might not be so comfortable when we are exposed to the elements,
But it is only through this (sometimes painful) transition that we can find that new, thriving and better life we yearn for.
So, what are you holding onto that is no longer serving you?
And what could open up for you if you stopped resisting and just let it go?
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