Dear Reader:

When I came across this little picture message it really made me pause for a moment. “What if trees really did refuse to let go of their dying leaves?” It reminded me of the little story I shared with you a few weeks ago about “Abigail, the Reluctant Leaf?” In the story Abigail was afraid to let go and fall from the tree because she had heard terrible stories about what happened to these leaves. So she held on for as long as she could and then, one day, like the ‘Family Tree’ had promised her…she didn’t leave until she, herself, willingly let go.

We can all appreciate ‘Aibgail’s reluctance’ to let go of security and everything she knew to fall into something new….a fall frontier. In fact most of us try any and everything we can think of, in our daily lives, to postpone letting go for something new…any type of change. (Even going so far as to “clothespin” ourselves to the past.)

When I came across this little spiritual message it definitely hit home…I believe we do come across the right words we need to hear at the right times, don’t you?

Intellectually we all know statements, like these, are true but emotionally it is, sometimes so hard to do it. Yet, when I look back on my life…I see that the times I did leave my comfort zone and crawled out on the end of the branch and let go,  resulted in the best changes in my life. Faith, Becky….I remind myself over and over….keep the faith!”

Like the beautiful leaves we so admire right now…we, too, are dying and have been since birth….it is a process as natural as being born. Yet all of us stay in a reluctant frame of mind to think about our own ending…as if just thinking might hex us or something.

Rutledge always tells me that he is a little bit crazy….but Lachie is REALLY REALLY CRAZY! (And he makes the circle motions by the side of his head.) We all laugh….even little Lachie… who laughs just because we are! But Rutledge is right on target….we humans are REALLY REALLY CRAZY! But also we can be really quite lovable  at times too.

Every day that  I wake up to a glorious Fall day I just want to pinch myself! How I do love this season! And every day my garden continues to bring me surprises that delight and enhance my life! My garden truly is the ‘gift that keeps on giving.’

So until tomorrow…Remember we can all learn from the seasons: “Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go.“

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Remembering the Race for the Cure: 2016

*Follow-up on Rutledge’s surgery. He WAS BRAVE, as you can see, but the doctors were really shocked at the amount of infection in both ears…particularly one and had to remove some ear tissue to open it up. Please keep him in your prayers that his ears keep these tubes and that no more infection potentially opens up the possibility of some hearing loss.*Mollie called me and said, after having his adenoids taken out also yesterday… that he was hungry and right back to his old self playing yesterday afternoon. He is a strong, brave boy!