Years ago when the
children’s book, Freddy the Leaf came out, I used it in my religion class to
explain that everything has a purpose. The story is about a leaf and in the
end the leaf falls to the ground and dies, but it also becomes food for the
trees. I would use this book and message over and over in my classes.
As I grew older and
changed – I started to view fall in a negative way. To me, fall signified
death. I would refer to fall, as ‘Freddy the Leaf.’ Then I started to work at
the greenhouse. This was when I realized the necessity of the seasons and the
importance each had on the growth of trees, grass, bushes, and plants. Each
season was important for certain things: Fall - housekeeping, cleaning out the old growth and
preparing lawns and gardens for next season; Winter - dormancy and renewal; Spring - spectacular
growth and new buds and flowers, and Summer - grass, trees, and gardens in
their full beauty.
Through all of this, I
learned how to enjoy fall. I love to see the change in the color of the leaves from
greens and bronze to brilliant reds, luxurious yellows and delicious oranges. I’m
still not crazy about the leaves falling on the ground and having to rake them
up, or apprentice one of my sons to come over with their children to help me,
or hire someone to do the removal of the leaves.
But for me, I do love fall and
all that it represents, like the end of one season and the beginning of the
next, fall colors, fall flowers, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. I find fall, rich
in colors.
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