As we are now in the midst of the fall season, I am reminded that even the leaves on the trees die and fall away, making their way to the ground in all their beautiful oranges, reds and yellows, so the trees can take a much needed rest.

Leaves are beautiful when they are in their lush green stage. They provide shelter for the animals, oxygen for us to breathe and sometimes fruit for us to eat. They provide shade from the hot sun, nutrients for the earth and a way for water to get to the strong roots that bear and grow the tree. Leaves are also heavy. When it is time and they are no longer needed, they don’t argue with Mother Nature; they detach and let go. They simply welcome the fall.

We can learn from this school of thought. Oftentimes, we carry around things that we don’t need any more. Past pains, old grudges, stress, impossible expectations, fear of change – all of these things are heavy. They prevent us from rest when we need to rest most. They make it impossible for us to grow when the proverbial spring comes again and new opportunities present themselves, because we don’t have the bandwidth. We need to let go. We need to allow those things to fall away and be grateful.

Will letting go of these things that are no good for us hurt? Maybe. But consider this: If the leaves on the trees stayed on for the winter, the snow and ice would weigh them down so much that the branches would likely break. Nature is wise – it knows when to let go. And we need to listen to ourselves and let go of what we don’t need, too, lest we bend and break. That would hurt more than letting those old things go.

Choose to stand taller; choose to allow growth. Trees can live for hundreds of years … maybe we should heed their lessons.

The pure light in me honors and respects the pure light in each of you. Namaste.

Jennifer RUSSO