It’s hard to believe that as I write this blogpost, the images it contains were taken two seasons ago. I look out my window and see the burgundy buds form on the grey branches on my maple, and I just don’t believe that spring is here already.

 

When I took these photos, the buds of last year had just completed their lifecycle: They went from red nubs to green leaves to yellow leaves to brown crunchies on the ground. These fallen foliage is now neutral-colored mush, thanks to a winter’s worth of snow.

 

It’s hard to look at these decomposing piles, and then at these photos, and believe that they were ever the same leaf. What a transformation that comes from time and exposure to the elements. I think we all face that situation from time to time: We start out feeling and looking awesome, only to be dimmed by forces outside our souls.

 

This is one of the many, many reasons I love spring. Just as those leaves come back after a season of rest, so can we. Whenever we feel drained, depleted, or defeated, it should be a signal that maybe we need to take a moment, take a step back, and just rest. Recharge. Refocus. That will bring us back to our moments of glory quicker than hustle ever will.

 

That grace, it takes time. For trees, it takes a whole spring and summer into fall to reach that special place of beauty. For us, it will vary. But knowing that it will take time is the variable that makes us all equal in our journeys–and if we understand that, we will always understand each other.

With that said, how about we look at where last year’s leaves left off, in their autumnal rainbow of reds and pinks and oranges…because sometimes to see how bright the future can be, you gotta look back at the past.