Beauty And Worth
The photo above was taken at a bed and breakfast inn we stayed at last weekend in central Vermont. I had some quiet time on their wrap around porch while there, and my eyes and heart were drawn to this broken-down, decaying tree trunk, cherished enough by the innkeeper that she had planted beautiful flowers in her crevices. There is beauty and worth in everything around us, isn’t there. and probably especially in what at first sight might appear worthless.
It's been a very wet and rainy summer in our part of New England, and this old trunk could so easily be yanked right out from the drenched soil where it is, and covered over so no trace of what once was a grand old tree would ever be seen. But what drew me to it was the tenderness and care that prompted this woman to see potential in what remained…and to plant some color and beauty where so many would see ugliness and want it removed.
Those musings got tossed and turned around to considering the month of October as one that shares characteristics with this old trunk that sports new life and vigor! For all intents and purposes, autumn is a season when all around us seems to be dying, shriveling up, leaves turning brown and sailing in the wind. Gardens that were abundant with fruit and vegetables now appear picked over, empty, and spent. But take a ride and witness what people do to greet this empty, dying season. They focus on the vibrant color that the season also gifts us with, and they tuck corn stalks, pumpkins, gourds and mums among the fallen leaves and the decay! This takes a heart that sees potential and possibility, and tenderly “plants” new life where others only see something that has “done its time.” It’s time to throw it away!
What will you SEE as you walk and drive around this month? Or as you go about “cleaning up” your yard? When I looked closely at that tree trunk, or if you zoom into my photo of it…. there is so much to “see”: an old man yawning…an elephant’s eye, 2 sea salamanders side by side, even a waterfall!!
There is loveliness and grace all around us, says Annie Dillard, but we must “show up” to actually see it and then cherish it. Perhaps our society should reevaluate how they “see” the elders around us too from this perspective? At first appearance they come across as…well…old, spent, their youthful beauty gone, their fruitfulness passed by. But when you really look…it takes a cold heart not to see the grace, the potential, the polish, and the wisdom in the story of their life!
Let’s jump into this month of October and see what we can see!! Let’s tenderly tuck and plant and cherish the charms of autumn as the weeks slowly but surely turn to still another season that will have its own beauty to discover!
