Synchronicity and change « Heartstorm Studio

Synchronicity and change

23Oct08

Red Maple Leaf

Today, like every other day,
we wake up empty and scared.
Don’t open the door to the study
and begin reading.
Take down the dulcimer.
Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways
to kneel
and kiss the ground.

Rumi

It’s turned cold in Maine, but this is balmy and bright compared to what is ahead. I wish I forgot the thing called winter every year. Really forgot it. Because once I see the red maple leaves fallen onto the ground a little part of me thinks, “the end”.

This leaf was brand new and opening out into a tender yellow-green state just 5 months ago. It’s easy to get sucked into feeling sorry for ourselves. Will we have to wait 7 months for our inner spirit to rejoice again? This leaf turned flaming red and has blown down onto the ground, but it’s not the end, it’s simply a transformation. Cycles must involve deaths in order to bring about new life and that’s a wonderful thing. The joy will keep coming every day, all we have to do is be awake and keep our selves open for it. This leaf in particular just got to experience being scanned! And at some point it will join the pile of compost outside and be broken down, nuzzled by some worms and eventually help grow flowers and tomatoes next summer.

helicopter seeds

Let the beauty we love be what we do! After picking up the red leaf today, I found some helicopter seeds hanging like lacy blossums from a leafless tree. This is the cycle. The tree has produced its seeds and it doesn’t worry ahead to the idea of freezing temperatures and snow. It’s just being a tree. The aliveness is going down into it’s roots now in preparation for another highly energetic growth spurt next spring.

We are like that tree, and we can stop thinking and worrying and feeling sad and just welcome this part of our cycle.

Welcome to the season of inner restoration. The tides are out and we can breathe a huge sigh of relief as we hunker down under the covers for a long restful retreat.