Hanging On or Letting Go?
Quote de jour
All of us live in unpredictable and surprising times. Sometimes it hard to know whether to hang on to hopes and dreams, or to let go and surrender to the unknown. I came across this tree in the woods near my house this week. It's not unusual to see the odd, dried leaf on a tree, hanging on for dear life. What surprised me was finding a tree full of dead, dried leaves. Didn't she receive the memo in the fall to let her leaves fall down? Why did she stubbornly hold on and not let go? There was fragile beauty in these crisp, papery leaves but I couldn't help but wonder: what am I holding onto that no longer serves me? You might ask yourself the same question.
All of us live in unpredictable and surprising times. Sometimes it hard to know whether to hang on to hopes and dreams, or to let go and surrender to the unknown. I came across this tree in the woods near my house this week. It's not unusual to see the odd, dried leaf on a tree, hanging on for dear life. What surprised me was finding a tree full of dead, dried leaves. Didn't she receive the memo in the fall to let her leaves fall down? Why did she stubbornly hold on and not let go? There was fragile beauty in these crisp, papery leaves but I couldn't help but wonder: what am I holding onto that no longer serves me? You might ask yourself the same question.
Posted by Layla Morgan Wilde at 2/26/2009 11:43 AM 
Categories: Westchester County, Photography, Spirituality
Tags: Westchester County Park dried leaves
Categories: Westchester County, Photography, Spirituality
Tags: Westchester County Park dried leaves
It is so interesting that you bring up the issue of the mighty oak, the only tree that hangs onto her leaves, though they be brown, hanging on, as if for dear life; there must be an evolutionary reason, but I don't know what that is.
I have always found winter oaks like this so mysterious and sad, and fascinating, sort of like the Weeping Willow, but in a different way.
I hang onto way too much.
A great question we should all ask ourselves. Thank you, Layla.
PS Family off to Savannah tomorrow for the weekend. I ham here to write. The two books by Berendt just came into my library today.
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Enjoy Savannah, the books and the food for thought
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Sometimes the universe is to us humans as what the wind is to nature....a gentle nudge to the seemingly stagnant and frozen...
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Beautiful shot with the perfect quote... the vibrant shades of blue and yellow made me think of Van Gogh too.
I think sometimes that life is nothing more than a pattern of picking things up and putting them down, pausing occasionally to admire the view. Thanks for sharing yours!
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Oh, my dear lady, touche! Such a question, a very good one indeed, and one perhaps that I've been avoiding. One can never hide, food for thought for me I think!
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very lovely thoughts ....
i always enjoy your perspectives...
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Great picture Layla and great example of the keeping and the letting go. One has to evaluate what no longer serves them, or never did serve them and then choose to let that go. Hanging on to what isn't serving your best interest only weighs a person down. Letting go can be so very freeing.
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