People are always doing so much artsy stuff with leaves this time of the year. Using them as great analogies about things changing, posting pictures of leaves in mass quantities in all their radiant glory, doing really cool art projects with the leaves themselves, the list goes on. Me? Right now, my main experience with leaves is that I rake them up in a nonstop battle against nature. In fact, my job this time of year is less to wash cars and more to wage war against the elements.
Multiple times I have found myself raking fallen leaves in near freezing temperatures before the sun has even decided to rise. I mean the previous statement literally and figuratively. I've physically found myself doing that as required by my boss. It is a very real reality I face each day I go to work that more leaves will have replaced the ones I collected and my boss will still want the lot to be kept clean.
These times of early morning raking have also helped me find myself on a more personal level. I recall one time in particular when it was pouring down rain and I had yet to discover where the rake was stored so I was using a broom to try to sweep wet leaves plastered all over the parking lot. Let me give you some advice, it doesn't work and is a losing battle. At that point, I wasn't at all enjoying the magnificent array of colors leaves can be, analyzing all the great analogies I could concoct about being swept up in the ever changing seasons of life even though I was using a broom. I wasn't even remembering past art projects I've done with leaves or trying to come up with new ones. I was simply feeling sorry for myself and the situation I was in.
Slowly, almost as slowly as my pile of leaves was growing, I realized how much I have to be thankful for. I am blessed with a full time job in a city I love and look, the leaves are brilliant shades of orange and red and I have functioning limbs to be out here sweeping them up! I even thought of a few clever analogies and art projects the leaves could be used for!
Life will be difficult at times. You'll be trying to sweep up wet leaves with a broom in the rain early in the morning. The right appreciation for all you've been given will help ground you in the reality that you have much to be thankful. Leaves are going to fall and need to be dealt with and you might only be equipped with a broom. How we choose to deal with this reality is the only thing that can we can change and conquer.
Back to leaves. I'm always leaving, and never coming back when it comes to this blog. I'll try to do better.
Pictured are leaves still on a tree, an apple tree I picked apples from. Apples that became a delicious pie, but that is perhaps a story for another time.
I've started to run again. It seems to be a seasonal thing. Not calendar seasons, but personal ones. You have to enjoy running to be out there right now in near freezing temperatures especially after working outside all day in that coldness.
