There is an art to being able to recognize the power of even the simplest of objects. While I am by no means a master of this art, I work hard at practicing it every moment. Life is given flavor by fully appreciating it.
Take something as simple as leaves. Depending on where you live, something you see every day. And even in the more barren areas, they still can be found. Yet how many of us take the time to really appreciate them? Or even think that they need to be appreciated at all?
What IS a leaf? The primary definition I found here is:
A usually green, flattened, lateral structure attached to a stem and functioning as a principal organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in most plants.
If you manage to actually translate the definition, it is basically says that leaves are, in fact, All That (or whatever the correct current slang is … can never keep up). Leaves are how plants eat. And leaves are how plants breath.
So what’s the big deal? Think about it. No leaves. No plants. No plants. No breathable atmosphere. Leaves are a primary support of life as we know it!
That alone is a good reason to appreciate the simple leaf. But there is more.
For those who have lived in a temperate environment, leaves are indicators of time passing. They are holders of beauty and memories. Anyone who has seen a New England fall will never forget it. And if you have never experienced the making of a leaf pile … supposedly to clean the yard but as any smart kid knows it is so you have something to jump into … you have missed a very import part of life.
Today is Mother’s Day in these parts. Somehow it seems a good day to honor and appreciate something that is essentially very important yet usually taken completely for granted.
So today I offer homage to The Leaf!