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While it is still summer and the leaves are green, I thought I would present a poem I wrote about The Leaf. It is a testament to the life span of leaves, and their group contribution to the success of the tree. In many ways we are each a leaf of the tree of life and community. |
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The Leaf Brown and wrinkled on the ground By Rob Hueniken
First published: Aug 31, 2009 @ 17:05 |
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Tag Archives: Making more of today
Growing upward in the autumn
Each autumn a diaspora of children, young and getting older, spreads into schools and communities across the nation. As the parent of a university-aged daughter, I hold dearly my role in helping her grow from a teen to an adult.
Yesterday my wife and I helped our daughter move into her new home, using two cars to ensure there was enough room for all the furniture, clothes and fridge. There were many things to bring, but none as precious as the promise of new learnings and opportunities to share and grow.
It was a successful day of setting up that included me helping her put up photo frames and attach white water lily flowers to the walls. I wondered for a moment about what landlords think of 30 flowers stuck into the wall, but the final result was of beauty, joy and new creation. That is what we hope for in times of growth.
While spring and summer are the main growing months for crops, the autumn is the time for children. I cherish my daughter, and the moments I get to help her directly. I relish and respect the chance I get to help a child. Step by step, flower by flower, they becoming the people they are meant to be.
Celebrating endless love
Today we celebrated the truly endless love of family and friendships — the love that each of us can be part of. I had the honor of helping to celebrate the life of my daughter-in-law’s grandfather. Bruce lived to be 91, and he and Ida had been married for 70 years. That is a long… Continue Reading
A Windy Day Fan
One of my favorite natural events is a windy day. Feeling the strong but invisible push against my face is a joy that I have felt since childhood. Barring flying grit, rain or the need to ride a bicycle, a windy day is a great way to have fun. I don’t need a kite or… Continue Reading
The wind beneath wasp wings
While having lunch outdoors yesterday my friend and I were visited by two wasps. The wasps in our area rarely sting you if you let them be, but “letting them be” usually involves them hovering around or crawling on both your food and yourself. We kept hoping the wasps would go away but they persisted.… Continue Reading
A Later Perspective with More Compassion
It’s amazing how unchanging our perspectives can be over time. I had a chance yesterday to see how revisiting some details from my past could give me a new perspective and understanding of a situation. Yesterday I got to reminisce at a party with a classmate from my childhood days, who I hadn’t seen in… Continue Reading
Becoming Batman
Our continued interest in comic book heroes reflects our admiration for those who help others despite the challenges. When I was a boy I got my comic book fix in 12 cent monthly increments They were delivered via the local variety store called [in all its early innocence and lung-stomping dastardliness] the Smoke Shop. There,… Continue Reading
Poem – No Power Tonight
Here is my poem from the 2008 Waterloo writers’ anthology, “Words from Here”, ISBN 978-0-9682520-1-7. It speaks to the surprising situation and feelings one can have about our busy world when we are forced to experience a time without power at night. This poem might inspire further thoughts about how we spend our time, and… Continue Reading
Popsicles are for Sharing
When I was six years old my class participated in a track and field day at a neighboring school. It was a bus trip away and the spring day was hot and sunny [a rare weather condition in that Northern area]. Being frugal, my Mom had packed me a lunch, which I devoured between running… Continue Reading
The Joy and Time Travel of Anticipation
One of life’s greatest pleasures is the joy of looking forward to something good. We experience anticipation as the optimistic feeling that links our Past and Present into the Future, as an emotional guess of what is to yet to be. Anticipation is a reflection of both the hope and the confidence that moves us… Continue Reading