Artist Living

MamaBloo Photo Tale: Falling or Letting Go?

Mamabloo

This is Kari from MamaBloo chiming in today for Me Ra!

A few days ago a friend and neighbor posted something on Facebook that got my attention. He had been out raking the yard and also listening to Carrie Newcomber’s song where the question is posed:  Do leaves fall or do they just let go?  Since I am caught in that crazy space of only listening to the Backyardigans soundtrack or Taylor Swift, I am pretty much out of any music that might appeal to an adult.  So, admittedly I hadn’t heard this song before.  But the notion of the question of whether or not leaves fall or let go has  stuck with me.

I am viscerally drawn to this idea that the leaves might actually have some control over their own fate.  Not the practical aspect of it, of course.  I mean they are going to wind up on the ground.  That is inevitable, right?  But the control comes in how they perceive their journey.  If they FALL, then well, the changing season takes its toll on the leaf — sending it on its way, making it depart from tree.  It speaks more of what the leaf has lost.  Plus, falling is just plain scary!  When we are kids “Falling Down” is cause for skinned knees, and band-aids, and running to mom while holding back the tears until we are safely wrapped in her arms.

But “letting go” is fun.  Letting go is about holding onto the monkey bars and letting go to feel the wind in our hair, to breathe deeply, to feel our hearts beat a bit faster, to reach out and grab the next bar and, if we miss, to revel in how our bodies absorb the shock of the landing with more ease than we predicted.  I love the idea that the leaves are letting go. That although they “know” they are destined for the ground, that their journey to the soil is supposed to happen, that it MUST happen for life to go on…that even though they know this, they take part in the journey.  They release their hold on what has always sustained them and float to the ground in a swirl of yellow, red, and brown.  Then the leaf waits for the kindergartner that will come by and pick it up, running to his mom, exclaiming, “This is the coolest leaf in the world!”


May we feel freedom to release our holds,

Kari

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  1. Emily M. says:

    oh, you MUST get yourself a copy of The Little Yellow Leaf!!! And an amazon right now you can pick up a hardcover for less than $7. http://www.amazon.com/Little-Yellow-Leaf-Carin-Berger/dp/B0046HAIWI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1292337883&sr=1-1

  2. RachelW says:

    OMG! I love Carrie Newcomer! My sister went to college with her & I’m a huge fan.

    Huge fan of yours, too… Worlds colliding…

  3. Lori says:

    What a beautiful post–thank you. It echoes the sentiment of the book “The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: A Story of Life for All Ages” by Leo Buscaglia. This book was given to me eight years ago when my brother passed away and I cannot tell you how many times I have given to others who are grieving. The analogy of leaves letting go of their tree is a beautiful way to explain life and death, and the circle that goes on and on. Thank you again for this wonderful reminder of how important perspective is in life!

  4. Me Ra says:

    Kari, I LOVE your prose and what it gives to us all. Thank you so much!

    love you! m

  5. Rachelle J says:

    Such a beautiful way to articulate this… I think I let go a bit today while recording my SOAR app video… I enlisted my fabulous students to help the techno-NOT teacher. It was so weird to show myself vulnerable to them, to seek feedback, and to hear criticism. I let go of my insecurities and it was good… and nope, I didn’t fall down on this one. 🙂

  6. Jen says:

    Loved this!

  7. Rhonda Kane says:

    Nice Kari!!!

    I support Soar.

  8. Such a timely post…Thanks Kari!

  9. ajira says:

    Lovely post. Thanks for the reminder… I had a recent loss and it’s comforting to think that perhaps my uncle simply let go. Thank you.

    I support SOAR.

  10. Lora says:

    Beautiful writing and thoughts, thanks.

  11. Delanae says:

    I’m a leaf, I’m a leaf, I’m a leaf. I’m a leaf, I’m a leaf, I’m a leaf! 🙂

  12. Delanae says:

    Ugh, apparently if you put things in brackets then it doesn’t post.

    Pahahahahaha! This is just too funny to me.

    So for those who might be curious, I actually wrote…

    “I’m a leaf, I’m a leaf, I’m a leaf.” And in brackets right here I put, “go record your video Delanae!” End bracket, and then continued with, “I’m a leaf, I’m a leaf, I’m a leaf!

    It’s kinda like a joke that you have to explain losing it’s punch. 🙁

    But I’m still laughing! 🙂