“One Autumn day I was in a park and I looked at a very small beautiful leaf, it’s colour was almost red. It was barely hanging o the branch nearly ready to fall down. I spent a long time with it and I asked the leaf a number of questions. I found out the leaf had been a mother to the tree.
We usually think that the tree is the mother and the leaves are just children but as I looked at the leaf I saw that the leaf is also a mother to the tree. The sap that the roots take up is only water and minerals, not sufficient to nourish the tree, so the tree distributes the sap to the leaves, and the leaves transform the rough sap into an elaborate sap with the help of the sun and air and then send it back to the tree for nourishment. Therefore leaves are also a mother to the tree….
I asked the leaf whether it was scared because it was autumn and the other leaves were falling. The leaf told me, “No. During the whole spring and summer I was very alive. I worked hard and helped nourish the tree, and much of me is in the tree. I AM NOT LIMITED By this form. I am the whole tree, and when I go back to the soil, I will continue to nourish the tree. As I leave this branch and float to the ground, I will wave to the tree and tell her, ‘I will see you again very soon….
And after a while I saw the leaf leave the branch and float down to the soul dancing joyfully. Because as it floated it saw itself already there in the tree. It was so happy. I have a lot to learn from the leaf because it is not afraid – it knew nothing can be born and nothing can die.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
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Reflection Question:
What part of your life can you allow to be released in order to create fertile soil for new beginnings and personal growth?
Linette Bixby is a mindfulness coach who is passionate about bringing more meaning and inspiration into adults and children's lives through mindfulness and self-compassion workshops and training.
Join Linette for some of her courses:
Mindful Self-Compassion for Adults
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