The Colors of Fall

The Colors of Fall
It seems like yesterday that I was reflecting on the amazing smell of lilacs blooming in the Spring air. The grass was just starting to grow and the air was becoming warmer each day. Baseball was just getting ready to kick off its season, and I was thinking about the promise of renewal and growth that comes to us each year.

Funny how time goes by so fast. As I was walking my dogs this morning, I was struck by the fact that Fall has now stepped up to take its turn.

I sometimes get a little sad during the Fall. Not because I don't love it - what’s not to love? Turtlenecks make a comeback, football season begins, and Starbucks serves up Pumpkin Spice Lattes. But then, with Fall comes the end of so much I hold dear. The flowers start to die. The grass turns brown. The air turns colder.

I got to thinking this morning about the leaves changing colors, and how much I love the beautiful reds, yellows, and oranges. What a blessing it is to witness this glorious transformation. But the beauty we see has some interesting reasoning behind it - and please remember I am not a scientist so my explanation will be very rudimentary.

When fall comes, trees understand that the winter will bring less water and light for them to feed on. So, the trees choose to withhold water from their leaves in order to reserve their resources for winter. The lack of water causes the leaves to slowly die – and as they do they are transformed from green to vibrant yellow, orange, red, or purple.

Without the decision to neglect the leaves, we wouldn't get the beauty of the leaves changing, and the trees may not be able to withstand the difficult winter long enough to bloom again in the spring. The changing leaves remind us that making difficult decisions, though hard at the time, can bring about magnificence in our world.

Do you have a hard decision you have to make soon? If so, what magnificence can come from it?