Changing seasons and staying connected

[clevermanka]

angel_in_purple shared something with me on Sunday.

It's not cold or lack of chlorophyll that causes leaves to fall from the tree. Rather, the tree itself sends chemicals that cut the leaves off. The tree doesn't want to support the weight of the leaves or feed them through the winter, so it cuts the stems. The leaves don’t just fall off. The tree must remove them.

This was obvious once I thought about it. All the time I see old branches with brown leaves still attached. Even shaking the branch won't loosen those dead, dry leaves.

In order to shed undesirable leaves and grow healthy new ones, I must stay connected. Limbs grow and separate, some branch apart. But in order to continue the cycle of shedding and growing, I must stay connected to my tree, my tribe, and (most importantly) my own self. If I sever the connection to my core self and those who center me, I am stuck on a dead branch—unable to shed old leaves or grow new ones.

Too many times I confined myself in a relationship or hobby that all but severed me from my tree. Eventually, I found myself stagnating and unable to shed or grow. With luck (and effort), I recovered my connection before that branch died and fell (with me in it) to the ground.

There are pine trees that grow largely in one direction, with relatively short, small branches. I’m more along the lines of a redbud or dogwood—not so tall, but divergent, with many branches that wind around each other. But no matter how many or few branches I grow, I need to stay connected to my main core in order to shed, bloom, and grow. We all do.

I want to thank all the wonderful, beautiful, and loving people who live with me in the trunk of my tree and who support me as I learn how deep my roots can go.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_luaineach/]

This was lovely to read this morning.

[arkhamrefugee.livejournal.com]

A circle of friends as a grove of trees. I like the metaphore.

[tessagratton.livejournal.com]

What a wonderful metaphor. Brilliantly simple.

Thank you for sharing, my LC sister. (That was just for you, cedarsong.)

[starwyse.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Aparently I'm sending signals for leaves to fall off and didn't realize it...I did recognize that I was connecting deeper to myself :)

[gamera-spinning.livejournal.com]

It's a very sturdy tree.

[rougewench.livejournal.com]

Most excellent well, my dear.

Anything for you, you know.


D.

[the-themiscyran.livejournal.com]

What he said. :)

[acommonreader.livejournal.com]

This is extraordinarily beautiful, Lydia. Thank you.

[el-reclusa.livejournal.com]

A lovely metaphor, indeed. I've been sprouting new leaves lately and it's felt pretty damned good!

[nottygypsy.livejournal.com]

Always right you are.

[verminiusrex.livejournal.com]

That was lovely.

I'm like the maple tree next to you. A pain in the ass to prune, and difficult to get rid of.

Better than a cottonwood. You'd start sneezing every time we hang out.

[adammaker.livejournal.com]

What a wonderful way to think of dropping off the un-needed, or the things that drag you down.

Remember that core, and it will always shine for you.

[lightonthesill.livejournal.com]

::mwah::

what a fantastic metaphore. xoxo C

[pointoforigin.livejournal.com]

I love this perfect mini-essay. However, I must admit that as I read it, I was actually thinking about how great it would be if I could send those "just fall off!" messages to certain segments of my anatomy. It would beat liposuction, that's for sure.

[subplot2.livejournal.com]

Beautiful.

[bestill.livejournal.com]

That was very nicely put.

Thank you for being part of my tree.

[socialdragnfly.livejournal.com]

I love reading things like that.......... It makes my days better

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

OMG and thank you for commenting. I'm the world's worst at remember to friend people!!! Doing that now before I forget again.

eyes daggers at gamera_spinning and nottygypsy

[socialdragnfly.livejournal.com]

I do the same thing.. I also have fabulousfops community that you can also join.

[redheadfae.livejournal.com]

Just wonderful. Thank you for being one of my twining branches also.
XOXOXO

[starstraf.livejournal.com]

Sigh - Oh to be "home" again. I am a transplant, I get enough nurishment from this soil to live but not enough to thrive. Thanksgiving with my tribe seems so far away this time of year when the heat of summer is fading and the sun hides from me. I am glad that you have found those that nurish you