Giving Thanks for What Is Being Gathered

I raked some leaves today and put them on a tarp. The leaves are all crinkled and brown now, shriveled remnants of their former selves; the trees that held them are all stark naked, yet still looking somehow graceful.

There is a falling away energy at this time of year, but also a gathering energy. As leaves collected and the perennial plants draw energy inward, you can feel this palpable sense of energy being gathered and stored. I can feel the draw of my own energy inward, wanting to stay at home at night, curl up under a throw, and read a good book.

At the edge of my yard, a huge maple tree stands naked against the coming winter. Its roots reach down into the earth and spread across my yard. Its branches reach to the sky. It is stately, calm, even receptive.

Autumn teaches us the intelligence of falling away energy. Through the lens of this season, we can look at our individual and shared worlds and our global challenges and understand that it is okay to have a time when things fall away and energy goes underground.

When I consider this in the context of my back yard, I see the wind moving the trees, and gently swaying the rope that my son swings on in summer. I know that if I am grateful for what is here now -- the leaves, the naked trees, the cold -- I will not try to push the spring. New growth and life will come eventually, just as it always does.