The Autumn Leaf

 

On a beautiful spring morning, he slowly started to unfurl. He was startled the moment he looked down.
“That’s a long way off the ground,” he said.
“Don’t worry, Tiny,” said an older leaf. “You are exactly where you are supposed to be.”
Though he was called Tiny because he was just a small leaf, it was a name that stuck with him. He looked around and found himself in a sea of green emerging from a brown bed.
“Hi there,” said another little leaf.
“Who are you?” Asked Tiny.
“They call me Emerald, I guess it’s my colour.”
“They call me Tiny,” he said, she giggled. A new friendship blossomed in spring time.
“Hey, you two,” called an older leaf. “You guys are looking in the wrong direction. Turn around and face the sun. That’s how we do our job”
Slowly, Emerald and Tiny turned around to face the sun. They were mesmerised by the blue sky and fluffy white clouds.

The mornings were fresh and the evenings pleasant. The leaves grew bigger by the day in these favourable conditions. One day Tiny seemed a bit lost.
“What’s the matter, Tiny?” Asked Emerald.
“I’m just wondering, does what we do even make a difference?”
“What?”
“I mean,” continued Tiny, “Look at the size of our mother tree and look at us.”
A wise owl who happened to be perched on the branch overheard this.
“If you look at what you do individually, yes you may feel insignificant. But look at what you all achieve as a team of leaves and you will realise how important what you do is. Sometimes, you have to look at the bigger picture,” explained the owl and flew away.
Tiny smiled, he was satisfied with the explanation.

A few months went by and the season started to change. One morning Tiny was shocked to find the sun missing.
“Emerald, can you see the sun?”
“Nope, haven’t caught a glimpse of it yet today.”
“I wonder where it is, I think it must have lost its way.”
An eagle who had just swooped down from above the clouds explained, “Things aren’t always how they seem. The sun is exactly where it is every day at this time. We can’t see it because of the dark clouds that block our vision. Sometimes we can’t see the truth because of the clouds of prejudice. Sometimes we can’t see an opportunity because of the clouds of doubt. We must wait for the clouds to clear, before we can make a judgment.”
The eagle flew away, but not before she had taught a valuable lesson.

In a few hours the tree found itself in the path of a storm. The tree bowed to the might of the storm.
“Emerald,” screamed Tiny. “Are you okay?”
“I’m just about holding on,” she replied. “What about you?”
“I don’t think I can hold on any longer. This is it, my friend.”
“Don’t say that, Tiny! I know you can do it, hold on my friend.”
“So many of the older leaves have been unable to hold on. What makes you think I can?” There was sadness in his voice.
“Just because they couldn’t do it, doesn’t mean you can’t. Believe in yourself Tiny. You can do it. I need you; the tree needs you. Hold on my friend, hold on!”
The storm settled later at night. When the sun came up in the morning, Emerald was relieved to see Tiny still there.
“Thank you, Emerald, for believing in me. I have learned a valuable lesson. You are stronger than you think you are and you realise that only when being strong is the only choice you have.”

Another couple of months went by. One day, Emerald noticed Tiny seemed a little off.
“Are you okay, Tiny? You don’t look so good.”
“I don’t feel too great either.”
“You seem to be losing your green!”
“It’s not just me, look around,” said Tiny. “Many are turning orange.”
In a few days, Tiny had completely turned orange. He felt weak and found it increasingly difficult to hold on.
“I don’t know what’s happening to us,” said Emerald, a little afraid.
Tiny was silent, he dived deep within himself and at a moment he could hear the tree speaking to him. “Do not fear, little one, to let go. This part of your journey ends here, another one will soon begin. The end of a journey is always the start of another. Do not resist the natural flow of nature, let go.”
“Emerald,” said Tiny. “It is time to take my leave. It was great knowing you, my friend. Goodbye, until we meet again. Trust the cycle of nature, do not be afraid to let go when your time comes.”

As Tiny fell from the tree, he noticed he wasn’t the only one. The further away he got from the branch, the clearer it became to him. Distance, sometimes, reveals the truth that can’t otherwise be seen. Soon, Tiny found himself on the forest floor with thousands of other leaves. He was still a little sad. A deer came close, trampling over the leaves. She noticed Tiny was sad.
“Don’t be sad, little one,” she said. “This is an important part of your journey. The animals and insects of the woods will ensure you become one with the earth. Then, through her roots, the mother tree will absorb you once again. Soon, you will reappear as another leaf on another branch! Hold on to your faith, little one. Sometimes, the only way to start afresh is to let go of everything you held on to!”
Tiny smiled as the deer walked away. There he waited, patiently, for the next journey to begin.