Fall Color

Walking through the crisp, cool, fall morning I realized how happy I was that the city planners of my new town had planted so many sycamore and pistachio trees. The colors of the leaves at this time of year are such lovely golds, browns, oranges, and reds; and they look so stunning against the backdrop of the usual Bay Area evergreens. That led me to pondering why we enjoy fall colors so much. I'm generally not as big a fan of warm tones, preferring cool greens, teals, blues, and purples for the most part.

Then I thought about what fall color represents: harvest, incipient holidays with family and friends, a slowing of the fast paced spring and summer...and especially, a savoring of the fleeting ephemeral nature of life. Like the leaf in autumn, we started out green and inexperienced, weathered through some hot times, now shower the world with our wisdom and gifts, and hopefully, go out in a blaze of glory. Only to return and do it again as we cycle forward through time. We need to appreciate every precious moment before we fall from the tree. The fall colors are a reminder of the cycle of life...and every phase is a gift.