Day 4

Day 4

Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; 

let all the trees of the forest sing for joy! Psalm 96:12

I am back up in Asheville, this evening.  Driving into the mountains was beautiful.  It was misting rain, the sky was a light grey and the trees were spectacular.  I especially love seeing the red. (No surprise there.) As I arrived on campus I knew that I had to hurry and get my walk in or it would be hard to get it done.  So before doing anything else, I put on a huge plastic poncho and started walking. I am so glad I did!  

Trees are so fascinating.  I love their majesty, their strength, their movement.

 

As I was admiring the leaves today, I was thinking how ironic that they are dying.  The dying process is beautiful and that it is also necessary for new life, or new leaves to emerge.  In a way this whole process of learning or recapturing my love of nature and walking in nature I have to let go of the old me.  I have to let die the me who prefers to sit.  I have to let go of the me who would rather look at a screen.  The process, can be as beautiful as the new or the end.  I don't want to focus on an end goal,  just the journey. I want to find the beauty everyday. I want to find the beauty just as I am right now.  Not hoping or waiting for the me who is 10 or 70 pounds less.  I just want to see the beauty RIGHT NOW!

 

    

This has always been my favorite tree in the fall.  I love the green yellow and red all on the same tree.  It is as if the sun gives the tree red and golden highlights.  I love their shape. 

This is the same tree just from underneath it.  Every angle is a feast for the eyes.

This is another amazing tree but so different.  Here the trunk and limbs are so big and strong and the foliage is so delicate. 

This is my favorite picture and my favorite moment of the walk.  I just stood over these beautiful leaves perfect undisturbed on the lawn.  No one has played in them, no one has raked them. The flood of memories was beautiful.  As the rain gently misted, I just stood there and remembered. I remembered the smell as I rolled in the huge pile of leaves my father had raked when we lived in Ohio.  I remembered the feel of them as I made leaf angels. I remembered searching for the perfect leaf on hikes on Sabbath afternoon.  I remembered being free.  Being a kid enamored with nature and I'm excited to be getting some of that back.