This fall, I'm finding immense joy in the trees in our neighborhood. I've enjoyed fall ever since I lived in Massachusetts just after graduating college, since California fall doesn't have that quintessential fall feeling you hear about. But this year, perhaps because of how hot and ashy September was here, each sign of the season's changing feels hopeful and optimistic.
When Avi and I walk in the mornings and evenings, I've spent a lot of time looking up through the leaves in the tree. One of the things I love most about my neighborhood is that it is well-shaded by enormous trees. Even though I live in a residential area near a main road, when I look up I feel as if I've traveled farther into nature away from my house .
Lately, I've been thinking of trees almost as cathedrals. I look up and see the light filtering through as though it's streaming in through stained glass windows. Starting my days looking for the light and sky filtering through the trees connects me to the present moment in a way that makes me feel grateful and whole. It reminds me of lighting candles in church for someone you love, or searching for a small miracle every morning.
It's time to daydream, talk with Avi about the plants and trees, and bounce her in her carrier and listen to her babble. I don't have time to walk with her every morning, but I do know I feel like the best parent when I'm outside with Avi. I find myself feeling a little lighter and more hopeful, and a little bit more creative, and it's easier to bring that energy inside our home and school after a short spin around the block.
Yesterday I did a quick loop of the neighborhood with my camera, and I had so much fun trying to capture some of the trees in our usual morning loop. I may experiment more with trying to catalog our neighborhood trees and learning more about the different species on our street.
I love the trees too. Your walks sound so nice. Walking with kids is really so wonderful, I agree.
ReplyDeleteWe got an outdoor hot tub recently in our backyard, and odd as it sounds, spending time in there this fall has really made me appreciate the leaves and trees more too. I've been going in on the weekend mornings alone, and well, there's not much else to do besides just look out at the yard or up at the trees. (Sometimes I attempt to take a book in, but that can be dangerous! Ha!) We have a HUGE oak tree, which I recently learned from an arborist is over 200 years old! The sun rises on the other side of it and shines through the branches in the mornings and it's just beautiful to sit and stare at. :)