Falling Leaves

It is fall. The trees are brilliant against the clear blue sky. I remind myself that this beauty is part of the process of death and rebirth. Fall is the reprieve before the harshness of winter. But even that cold, bleak season has moments of breathtaking beauty.

The colors of the fall leaves would be less brilliant without the glow of the sun. Likewise, the journey of the patient would be less bearable without the love and support of family and friends. It is in the individual’s darkest hour that she relies on the strength of those around her. In putting aside pride and accepting support she discovers her own strength is intertwined with many. Fear subsides, replaced for a moment by peace and gratitude. She can rest for a moment in the warmth of love.

As fall progresses the leaves will fall to the ground, leaving the trees naked and exposed with gnarled branches reaching desperately for the sky, reminiscent of the breast cancer patient ravaged by treatment and marked with scars.  Like the trees, she is suspended in waiting, waiting for the treatment to end and the healing to begin, waiting for the pain to end and eternal peace to begin.

The winter can be harsh. Gray clouds laden with storms obscure the warmth of the sun. Cold winds scatter hopes and rattle faith. Broken relationships flee like dry leaves across the crusted snow, leaving only the frigid fingers of death.

As new buds emerge hope returns. Spring brings new life, but a different life. Life before fall is no more. Grieve for the life lost. Embrace the new. Gather the strength and the grace of the journey. You will need it for the moments that you feel alone in your newness. You will need it to grow into the person you will become.

(a poem I wrote while writing Reconstructing Hope)