I went for a jog in the forest and saw that the birch trees have lost all their leaves. On Wednesday, last time i’d been there, they still had some. I thought i’d be sad, I was prepared to be sad. Instead, in a sudden burst of enlightenment, or a moment of awareness, I felt at peace. The birch trees, naked as they were, didn’t look frail or miserable or desolate, they looked ready for what was coming. The trees were giving me a lesson about letting go. They were not holding on neither to the vitality of summer, nor to the the wild beauty of the autumn. And at the same time as I was resisting winter with all my strength, with every fiber of my being, they simply embraced the change.

The two maple trees on my backyard have also let go of their leaves, as have the big poplar tree just outside of the fence. My backyard is full of their gifts. When I lay on the ground, I can disappear in them. I can feel the small animal part of me, weary and cozy and grateful. Maybe, I am ready.