A Little Mottled

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”

-Albert Camus-

Fall is my favorite season, and the transformation of leaves is one of the reasons why. Leaves fascinate and intrigue me. No two are alike, coming from different trees, terrains, temperatures, levels of precipitation. No two seasons of autumn are the same, though it seems some trees in our neighborhood are predictable in their color schemes.

I do better when I pause to appreciate the colors, sights, and sounds in this season, and every season.

It reminds me that no two humans are alike and every one of us brings to each day our own experiences and perceptions.

I do better when I pause to honor someone else’s unique presence, and my own.

Flowers and leaves. Some of Nature’s many gifts, here for us to enjoy.

I took numerous pictures of leaves on our school trip last week. This one spoke to me—a mottled design. Not the most brilliant or beautiful. Certainly not perfect. It reminds me of my humanness and yours. We are all a little mottled, and that’s okay. More than okay. It is our compassionate reality.

There is beauty in the imperfection. Beauty in each of us. Beauty in tiny leaves and expansive skies. Onward!