A few of the leaves on the tree, in my front yard, have already yellowed and fallen. It is one of the many subtle signs we often fail to notice because we are caught up in the forward motion of life. We are thinking about what lies ahead tomorrow, or next week, or next year; and we miss the moment that would have reminded us we are here now.
Years ago, when I was in high school, my girl friends and I would skip school occasionally. We claimed that we needed a “mental health day”, convincing our mothers to sign the notes that would legitimately excuse us from school. One of my friends had a car, so often we would skip classes and go driving around the Red Rocks foothills, enjoying the sun and the breeze and the freedom from our dull and monotonous classes. It was easy then to let cares fly out the window and to just revel in being alive. That carefree life vanished quickly; however, as adulthood and responsibilities molded us into someone we no longer recognize. Life changes us moment by moment, year by year. If we are fortunate, we gather small nuggets of wisdom along our journey, like souvenirs collected from our explorations.
With each leaf that now falls from the tree, I know that the years of my life too, are falling away one by one. Like the leaves, the memorabilia that I leave behind will most likely be swept into a pile and forgotten about; but perhaps one day, a young person may come across a gem that I had dropped. They may pick it up and carry it in their own pocket for a while, or give it away, or drop it once again to be lost for eternity.
