MEMORIES, OLD AND NEW: Dancing in the leaves, or with them..... (a story I had not heard) ... ENJOY

Dancing In The Leaves

By Joseph J. Mazzella

I was taking a walk in the woods on a late August evening. Suddenly, a cool breeze started to blow and a single red maple leaf broke off of its tree and circled down and around until it landed peacefully upon the top of my head. I took the leaf in my hand, looked at it with a smile, and dropped it gently to the ground. "It has started already," I thought to myself. "How early in the year it begins to be late."

I knew that soon the green mountains of my home would be painted by God's own hand.

Soon every leaf on every tree would become a masterpiece. Bright, beautiful reds would come first, followed by sunny yellows and glorious golds. Brilliant burgundies, outrageous oranges, and earthy browns would finally complete this colorful canvas.

As I walked on my mind was filled with memories of Autumns past. I remembered the crisp crunch as I walked on the freshly fallen leaves. I remembered the delightful dry leaf smell that filled the air. I remembered raking huge piles of leaves in the park for my children to hide in, jump on, and run through. I even remembered dancing on that colorful carpet while it crackled underneath my feet. I also thought of how Autumn is the most

bittersweet of seasons. It is so beautiful and yet so brief. It is so joyous and yet also a sign of the Winter to come. It is the ultimate reminder that our time on Earth is short and that we need to live now before it is gone. That is why I plan to thank God for everyday of this beautiful season. That is why I plan to take more walks in the woods while the colors last. That is why I plan to love more, laugh more, give more, share more, and smile more in the days I have left here. That is why I plan to dance in the leaves, or perhaps with the leaves again this Fall and in Heaven when the time comes. May you do the same.

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THERE IS A SEASON..

THERE IS A SEASON

So many things soon come and go

Like autumn leaves, they do not last,

One blink and before we know it

Another day has passed.

And what from it can we keep

This all, we want to know,

What meaning does it have

To hold close as our own.

We know we have our memories

But, do they lift us much,

While musing on all we have seen

Of life and war and love.

And when it all boils down

There is nothing we can keep,

When coldness knocks upon the door

And the river's raging deep.

Thus, God will grant us trials

To find Him while we can,

He'll give us tribulations

So Him we'll understand.

For if all is smooth and rosy

We fill our days with stuff,

But, always feel unsatisfied

As if there's not enough.

But, in a time of trouble

We are stripped of all the dross

And have to lean on Jesus

To bear the painful loss.

And the Lord Jesus we sure need

For HE is all we'll know,

When our last breath is taken

And He takes us to His home.

~*Soft Whispers from

Derry's Heart Poems ©Oct. 2011

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To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (KJV)

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WOW, IT WAS CHILLY AGAIN THIS MORNING.. BRRRR! I WAS EXPECTING IT TO GET COOL SOON.. BUT WOW.. IT REALLY STARTED QUICK! AND THE RAIN THIS EARLY EVENING, CHILLY!!! THE DAMPNESS ACHES THE BONES. THE EARLY MORNINGS ARE DARK AS NIGHT, AND TIME DON'T CHANGE UNTIL NOVEMBER 1st. BUT HERE WE ARE, JUST HANGING AROUND.. LOL .... SO, IN THE MEAN TIME, WE MIGHT AS WELL APPRECIATE ALL THE BEAUTY OF AUTUMN! AND LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE.. THE COOLER WEATHER CAUSES A LITTLE EXTRA CUDDLING UP WITH YOUR HONEY (*.*) (*.*)

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