Fall with the leaves!
Definition of fall
intransitive verb
1 : to descend freely by the force of gravity: An apple fell from the tree.
2 : to become lower in degree or level: the temperature fell 10°
3 : to leave an erect position suddenly and involuntarily: slipped and fell on the ice
4: to pass suddenly and passively into a state of body or mind or a new state or condition: fall asleep, fall in love, fall apart
noun
1: the season when leaves fall from trees : autumn
Fall has officially begun, that’s why, this month, I want to talk about falling and what that might mean to different people. Just like how seasons come and go and cycles change our environments, so do our own lives shift and adjust.
There are times in life for fighting, for growing, for pushing through and persevering through the difficult times, for being active and aware.
And there are times meant for rest, meant for letting all the things you have learned settle in and integrate in order to make something new.
We are moving into a cycle more focused around rest rather than action. The gloomy fall season is a perfect example, the changing of the colors, and of course the fall of the leaves.
Rest isn’t just something that feels nice; it is necessary for our well-being. If we look at nature, there are so many species that hibernate through the winter, and even the trees need to rest for the time being.
Have you ever stopped to wonder why?
As the season is aptly called, they let their leaves fall, covering and protecting the soil for the winter, and later decomposing to bring nutrients for the next generation of leaves in the new season.
It may seem odd, but I do believe it’s the same for people. This is a time where we can thin back and truly consider what things we want to take with us into the future.
When we can finally let go of the things in our lives that are not serving us anymore, of the things that we may have needed at a time in our lives, but are currently hindering our well-being, they can actually come back to help us. They can cover the ground to prepare us to grow into the next cycle of our lives.
And who’s to say that isn’t the most important aspect?
But what if you fall and can’t get back up? Or you let go/lose a part of yourself that you thought you did need for the future?
These are questions that are not easy to answer for yourself. It really takes a lot of soul-searching and connecting to yourself in order to come to terms with these things.
I believe nothing happens by accident. Every interaction and every experience we have shapes us into the people we are.
These are times to consider taking a break, and though we are conditioned and taught that if you fall, you are supposed to get right back up, sometimes the most healthy and productive thing you can do is to let yourself stay down for a while. Grieve the parts that are being shed and allow yourself to recover.
If you’ve fallen, don’t worry, you have all the time in the world to get back up, and until you can, I’ll lay down next to you!
Never forget, I love you.