Photography and Thoughts by Ulanawa Foote

Thursday, October 13, 2011

TRUE COLORS

 
This is my favorite time of year. The colors and aromatic scents of autumn are exhilerating to me. I know when I begin to see the great bear's blood upon the leaves, that they will soon be making their departure from the branches that hold and support them.
It is the fallen leaves that touch my heart so.
Each has a story.
Each has a truth.
Each has a sacred purpose.
The trees do not drop these leaves because they are worthless and no longer useful.
These leaves provided nourishment and shelter;
they were homes and resting places.
Each leaf touched another life somehow.
As the leaves begin to fall, the trees do not cast them away as
yesterday's glory, but rather they freely release the leaves to dance
upon the wind so they may add to their story, and touch even more
with their truth and sweet purpose, in their return to the earth mother.
 
They are not severed from the branches that once held and
supported them, but rather, free to fly, allowing the tree time
to rest for the bringing forth of new leaves who will have divine
destinies of their own. It is a beautiful and delicate cycle.
 
The leaves themselves may be dead,
but never their truth and never their purpose.
They simply live on in other ways.
 
For what is a story, if it is not shared?
And what is a truth if it is selfishly held on to?
The trees release the leaves to be a continued blessing.
Every leaf I see touches my heart in its own way as I remember its story
and recognize the blessing of its present reality
as it journeys on its sacred mission to winter places.
 For as the earth nods off in winter slumber,
within the fallen leaves,
there rests sweetly the plants and animals
which will emerge again in the spring.
The leaves tell us in their own colorful way ...
if you have a story, tell it;
if you have a truth, share it;
if you have a purpose, do it ...
 for these are the things that endure and live on.
 

6 comments:

Carol C. said...

Very nice. I'm inspired....let the sun shine!

Sakoieta said...

Just a fantastically beautiful display of colorful pics and beautiful words. Excellent!!! :)

Ulanawa said...

Thank you so much. :) Just love this time of year!! ♥

Jonathan Schechter said...

Your timing is perfect--I've been working on a blog today attacking the noise and insanity of leaf blowers which I will post the next full sunshine day. You words are blended just perfectly with the pictures---what you wrote and the pictures with it, should appear in a magazine. And I mean that! Somewhere out there a paying editor would love your prose.

Rusty Kjarvik said...

Your beautiful words and gorgeous breathtaking photography lighten my mind from the anxiety in awaiting my soon drop into the cold depths of a good winter's freeze, and the slow pain in letting the fruition of summer pass away with the pain a tree must feel for each of their beloved leaves. I am somehow strengthened to endure this passage through the subtle air of a season through being immersed in the awe-inspiring blessing of your expressions, insight and capturing in the eye of our Mother's total beauty. Thank you.

I wish to share with you a short video piece I put together dedicated to Fall, and the Love of my life. Just type "Fall nivsha" into YouTube search and it should be the first one (if not I will be posting in my blog). Enjoy!

Ulanawa said...

Thank you for your encouraging and kind words. I appreciate you all taking the time to respond, and so kindly. Looking forward to seeing your video, Rusty. :)