“Come little leaves send the wind one day.” Fall is here and the entire scene of the autumn colors on the leaves, the crisp air all around and the rushing of the waters from the cool breeze is without a doubt the most spectacular canvas designed by God.
As I sit looking at the crisp fallen leaves on my deck and the grass below, I am reminded of a song that was so dear to my late husband, a song his mother used to sing to him when he was a child, “Come little Leaves”. This song was a precious memory to him, one he held dear to his heart. He not only wrote down all of the words, which I still have, but he sang this song to each one of our boys when they were younger.
There are moments throughout my life now, when a memory of him is triggered by a sound, a song, a view, a scent, and even sometimes just certain actions throughout my day. Sometimes they are unpleasant memories but mostly they are genuinely sweet memories of him and the beautiful mind and heart he held. He truly was an old soul, and he always found the beauty and specialness, in the most precious things. He believed in tradition and keepsakes and being delicate with the things that hold unmeasurable value. Things like songs, poems, trinkets from ancestors and memories from the past.
He looked at the beauty in our nature that surrounds us, and he always held the greatest love and appreciation for it all. It destroyed him to think that we as humans were taking advantage of what we had and slowly working to tear it all down and abolish all of our freedoms that allow us the ability to live amongst this beauty as we see fit and enjoy it all without any inhibitance.
To this day, his memory reminds me to always see the beauty that this earth holds and to take in and appreciate every bit of it every moment that I can. He reminds me to not only hear the song but to listen to its every word and feel it within me. He reminds me to appreciate the things I own, and the value they hold, to take care of what you have. He reminds me that your home should be your happiness, your place of peace and serenity, one of tranquility and a feeling of contentment. Take pride in your home and in yourself, live passionately and with a humbleness that continues to remind you to look around you and take in what so greatly surrounds you.
The best thing about it is that the most beautiful treasures that surround you are free, you don’t have to work to enjoy them, but you do have to take the initiative to stop and see it, take it in, and learn to appreciate its value.
“Come little leaves”, its just a song, but to him it was one of the little things that meant the entire world to him. It was always nestled deep in his heart and in his memories that he held so dear and every fall he was reminded of its words and his mother's gentle voice sharing it with him.
We are often so busy in this life that we lose ourselves, our memories, and those moments in our lives that we are supposed to take in and treasure are quickly gone and long forgotten. We get one life folks, step away from the job, step away from the electronic devices and step into your treasure box, step outside and take in your free gifts from God, stop and listen to the words in the song, feel the artists thoughts and endure your own feelings from the words and the melody. Think about some of your greatest memories and moments in this life.
Be alive, not just living. The leaves may have fallen, but they are a constant reminder that no matter how many times we fall, we can fall with grace, regenerate, and find new life. The colors in the leaves are a sign of age and change before death reaches our door. As we get older, we must remember to live our life with beauty, dignity, and grace so that our last fall, leaves a memory for the ones we love.
