Connected While Apart
An Oak Surprise

November Oak Leaves

Dear Mayfield,
Before this year I hadn’t paid that much attention to oak leaves.  In my experience, they have pretty much simply turned brown in autumn.  Their shape is interesting, but fall coloration is often a bit dull.  This year they have been a spectacular surprise.  For the last month, I have come upon oak trees of different ages in a number of settings with leaves in a great variety of colors. I have been told that with oak leaves, you never know when there will be a year of color like this.  I especially like to catch this season’s leaves at play with the light.  For me, November has the most stunning light of the year.  Some days the hours of light seem too short, but as the light gets closer to the horizon, it takes on beautiful golden tones.  In honor of light on the leaves, I offer this lovely invitation from Maya Angelou:  “Lift up your faces, you have a piercing need for this bright morning dawning for you.”  In the heightened anxiety of these days, taking time for a blessing from the light seems a good idea.  Fill your lungs with a deep breath or two and relish the grace of light.

a stunning cluster of oak leaves

From Edwina Gately, I borrow another invitation for the day:

God is breathing gently.

            God never hurries,
            is never anxious or pressing,
            God just waits,
            Breathing gently upon us
            With great tenderness
            Until we look to God–
            And, Knowingly,
            Nod.                                                                            

 Peace, Martha