Falling Leaves
Once there was a girl who was feeling really sad. She’d been sitting on a bench and couldn’t find any reason to get up. In fact, she knew if she got up, she would only find more sadness, so she just stayed put.
Then, during a big yawn, she noticed something floating in the sky. A ribbon? Was it purple, or maybe even gold… and shiny...?
Whatever it was, she couldn’t take her eyes off it—the way it danced so magnificently, as if it were performing on the greatest stage in all of the world.
And then, she noticed, that this ribbon was twirling in the air closer and closer…
Then, the ribbon did something miraculous—it floated down and landed right in her lap!
And when she touched it, she couldn’t believe how soft it was—as if made of the finest silk.
But most of all, she couldn’t believe that something extraordinary had happened to her, of all people!
Nothing extraordinary ever happens to me, she thought to herself.
She felt so grateful, she closed her eyes and thanked the beautiful ribbon.
After that moment, the girl felt happy enough to leave her bench.
She took the ribbon on walks. Held it during tea. Even slept with it around her wrist.
So long as she had her magic ribbon, all was ok in the world. She felt safe, special and happy.
Then one day, she was strolling through the park when she noticed something else in the sky.
It was only for the briefest instant, but the moment she tried to see what it was, she accidentally loosened her grip from her ribbon just as a wind began to blow, and the ribbon fell to the ground.
And as she bent down to grab it, the ribbon twirled and blew away.
The girl panicked, running after the ribbon, apologizing. “Please don’t go! I shouldn’t have stopped to look at anything other than you! You’re all I need!!”
The girl continued chasing her beloved ribbon, but it was already twirling too high to reach.
She tried climbing a nearby tree to see if she could catch it, but she lost her grip on a branch and fell to the ground, skinning her knee.
On the ground, she cried.
Not because of her bloodied knee, but because she knew it had been too good to be true.
“Of course the only good thing to happen to me would disappear, just like everything else always does. Who am I, after all, but no one. Deserving of nothing.”
The girl decided it would be more sensible to return to her bench. And stay there.
A few days later, an older man wearing a brown fedora walking two little furry white dogs sat down on the bench next to hers.
The man noticed the girl crying on and off. And so he decided to say something.
“You seem awfully sad,” he said softly. “Did you lose someone or something special?”
The girl nodded, too upset to share any of the details.
“I’m sorry. I understand. I lost something special too.”
The girl looked up at him, curious.
“My dog passed. He was my best friend for 19 years. He got me through my wife’s passing. Never left my side. And then one morning,” the man looked down. “He didn’t wake up.”
“I’m so sorry,” the girl said.
“Thank you,” the man smiled gently. “You know, after he passed, I used to come to this bench and all I could think about, and all I could see, was what was missing: My wife. My sweet dog, Charlie. I was hurting a lot. And then one day, I saw a dog. Across the park. Without an owner.
“At first, I didn’t get up. I figured his owner was probably nearby. But no one ever came. My hips were hurting that day, so I decided to whistle. And sure enough, that dog came running.
“He was dirty but full of life and love. He kept nuzzling against my leg and I wondered if I still had some treats in my jacket pocket, and lo and behold, I did. So I gave him a few treats and he wouldn’t leave my side. And when I got up to walk home, he followed.
“I wound up bringing him in and that dog wouldn’t leave my side. Oh, my mind came up with all sorts of conclusions: This was my dog, reincarnated, coming back. This dog was sent by my wife. This dog was meant for me.
“But of course, after I reported that I’d found a lost dog, his owner contacted me, so grateful, explaining that the landscaper had forgotten to close the gate.
“At first, I was really sad. But then I told myself I’d better get used to it. That loss was inevitable from here on out. And that there probably wouldn’t be much to gain in the little future I had left.”
The girl didn’t know what to say. Except that she somehow related a bit to what he was talking about.
“The following day,” the man continued. “I decided to go to the park. It was a beautiful day. Even in my misery, I figured I’d take a brief walk. Why not. And I stopped to rest on a bench, when a few moments later, a man sat down on the bench next to mine with a couple small dogs.
“I still had some treats in my pocket, so I asked the man if I could give a few to his dogs. The man nodded, too busy on his phone to care, and the dogs took a liking to me. I mean, a real liking to me. They both had their noses resting on my knees just staring up at me. I had to laugh. ‘You have two wonderful dogs,’ I said to the man.
“‘They were my mother’s. She just passed.’
“‘I’m so sorry,’ I told him.
“‘We have a 10-year-old daughter with a dog allergy, so I’m trying to find them a home where they can stay together,’ he said.
“And without hesitation, I said, ‘I would be glad to adopt them both.’
“You should have seen that man. He stood up and clasped his hands together, smiling at the blue sky.
“He couldn’t get over the timing. He really thought it was a miracle.”
“Wow,” said the girl. “Well, it kind of was, if you think about it. And are these the dogs?”
“They are indeed,” the man said, petting their heads. “That was six months ago. And I learned something very important. After my dog passed, I was sure nothing good would ever cross my path again. But good things are always blowing in. They just might look different from what you think you should be looking for. So that’s why you’ve always got to stay alert. You have to take a break from your sadness sometimes and pay attention to what’s around you. That way, you can connect with it and see where it leads.
“You’ve got to be a different kind of treasure hunter. Not someone who keeps finding what’s missing and what’s wrong, but someone who’s ready to discover what’s new and what’s full of possibility.”
“Thank you for sharing that with me,” the girl said, wiping away a tear.
“You’re more than welcome. I had a feeling it was something you needed to hear.”
The girl nodded. He was right. Something about what he said made a lot of sense.
And so she decided to take a break from her sadness to pay attention to what else was happening. And right then, a red leaf fell beside her on the bench. She looked at it and smiled.
“Red leaves. Aren’t they beautiful?” the man asked calmly.
“Yeah,” the girl smiled.
“The process of things changing, turning from one thing to another. All the cycles, phases and stages life goes through. Not just ours. But all of life... It really is an unfathomable mystery.”
“That’s very true,” the girl said.
The girl then carefully placed the red leaf between the pages of her journal. This time, not because she believed the leaf was going to keep her happy. But as a reminder of what the man had shared—how life is constantly changing. And yes, there is sadness. Lots of sadness. But also beauty. And so many other things, too.
We can play favorites and have loyalties to just one experience. But, if we can pay attention and begin to let in more of what’s happening right now, we can open the space of our awareness to embrace more of life. And all of life has something to offer.
-JLK
