Yesterday afternoon I cleaned out the front gardens, preparing them for winter. All the milkweed stalks and scraggly brown stems of what used to be a summer burst of snowflakes are now gone. It looks neater, but somewhat barren. And yet I know that, despite the look of emptiness and death, next spring's life is waiting just below the surface, preparing to burst forth and surprise me with the joy of color after a long, gray winter.
Once done with the front, I moved to the plantings along the side of the house. I've been neglectful all summer, and it shows. There were a few small trees growing that I'm not sure I'd even noticed. And when I say small, I mean more than 4 feet tall, with a trunk almost twice as big as my thumb! Chopping those suckers down wasn't easy, but my trusty bypass pruners did the trick. I also got to eat the last 3 blueberries from my bush, a delightful reminder of summer.
How many trees have grown up in my life this year that I've completely ignored? Are their tiny roots weaseling their way in, looking for cracks in my foundation?
Normally the onset of winter leaves me with an aching depression, but so far I've been remarkably happy. At the moment, I am content to enjoy the flaming trees and azure sky, the calls of canada geese as they fly through the mist on a frosty October morning. I am trying to remember that, even in the midst of silence and barrenness, vibrant life is waiting to push itself out with a hearty "ta-dah!" and startle me with hope.
Posted by rachel at October 30, 2005 06:03 AM