Jumping in the Leaves
"... Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ ..." (Eph 5:20-21 NKJV)
Whenever the bare trees and grey skies of mid November start to get me down
and I start to mope about how Autumn always ends too early, I go to a
special place in my mind. This place holds a beautiful memory that I cherish
to this day.
It was many years ago when my grown children were still young. A warm Indian
Summer had blessed us with a beautiful Wednesday. It was the day before
Thanksgiving and the temperature was in the seventies with a gentle breeze
in the air. My wife was baking pumpkin pies to take to her Mom’s house for
Thanksgiving dinner, so I decided to take the three kids to a local park for
the afternoon. Mighty Oak trees throughout the park had laid down a blanket
of dry leaves on the ground. I found an old fallen tree branch nearby and
decided to make some good use of it. Using it as a rake I slowly made
several huge piles of leaves on the side of a hill.
Then I called my children over. They knew just what to do. The next
hour was spent jumping, sliding, running, and playing in the leaves. We took
turns burying each other. We played hide and seek. We pretended to be leaf
monsters. And we saw who could make the biggest splash in the dry and
crunchy piles. It was a magical time full of smiles, laughter, and the
simple joys of childhood. After that day too we made many more happy trips
to the park to play in the leaves.
Happy memories of loving times are a lot like those fallen leaves in
November. They nourish the soil of our souls and bring forth new life inside
of us whenever we think of them. They give us the strength to keep on
creating fresh joy and a new Springtime everyday of our lives. This
Thanksgiving then give a special "Thank You" to God for all of your happy
memories and loving times. And also whenever you get the chance, jump in the
leaves!
By: Joseph J. Mazzella