Falling leaves and life

      When autumn arrives, it is a time for leaves to change.  Nature wears a new shirt, which is yellow, red and brown. There is no artist in the world can paint this colors well, but everyone can recognize and feel this beauty.

            This week, St. Louis began to feel colder; trees danced back and forth in the wind, the leaves began falling and flying in chill. The life of a leaf is simple and short, but it is enough for the leaf to test interesting flavor of life. The leave was germinated in spring; grew in summer and falls when autumn comes. A leaf has a short life, but it is enough to cover the earth with its shadow. It helps tree to provide flower’s scent for wind to deliver in universe.  It bears fruits for human and creatures to use.  It also takes away carbon and provides oxygen for the universe and all creation. The leaf does not stop providing, because after death it still gives its last breath to this world by powerful colors of yellow, red and brown, which made this earth seem  bright before the cold winter comes. When the leaf comes back to the mother earth, it uses the last relic of its life to provide this earth nutrition for future life.  Whether earth is healthy or not depends much on the life of the leaf.

            Seeing falling leaves, I think about human life.  Our life is similar to the life of leaf.  An Asian metaphor expresses human life as fast as the shadow of a running horse, which crosses outside a window. Our life is like a leaf, which is small and fragile but brings life for the world and beauty for the universe. The life of a leaf teaches us about our own life.  It starts by providing us with shelter and shade, then it gives autumn beauty and finally in its death it gives nourishment. Reflect on our life, what shelter and shade do we provide?  Are our older years colorful and beautiful?  Will our death provide encouragement and inspiration to others?

            In my journey of life, I have met many good people who bring the nutrition, life and beauty into the flowing river of life. In my view, they are the love and kiss of heaven and earth. They live four times. They were born from universe to their mother’s womb. They leave their mother’s womb to be born into the world. They worked or are working to make people in this world love, and then they leave or will leave this world to be born into heaven. Their life is in the circle of the life of heaven and earth. They are children of God, who live and act with consciousness and love. Their life is flying with smiles and kindness. Their bright shines not only when they still alive but even after they die.  Are you those people? Yes, if you live above things. I wish you a happy life. And please don’t forget to pray for those who are alive and the kind who have died.