A Seasonal Departure
Another handful of goodbyes have been sent. The friendly departures remain bittersweet. We say “keep in touch”, but we know we won’t meet again. Behind the typed words there are good intentions laid out for someday. Yet, I know in my heart that nothing will happen. I remain while others leave.
My vacant stare addresses the window. I witness autumn’s ruthless bite. Wails cut through the frigid air. Tears weep onto the streets. The sky is clandestine grey again - who knows what lies behind it? Soon, a storm may pass over here. Even the cosy confines of my home don’t feel safe. Despite embracing a woolly robe and clasping a hot coffee mug, my hands are cold to the touch. Nothing abates autumn’s bite - not even the quaint comfort behind these walls.
Photo credits: @mr_kuchen via Unsplash
In between sips that briefly nourish my soul, I notice the rows of trees lined across the concrete car park. They’re the only ones who stand defiant with unwavering conviction. Passersby shiver under their heavy coats and scramble to safety. But the trees won’t be challenged by the wind’s howl nor the rain’s tears. They’ve seen it all before. It’s just the change in seasons - this weather will also pass.
They know who they are, where they will be, and they know they will remain.
While the trees’ roots run deep into the earth, they’ve cast aside caution to the rest of their bodies. Already the branches are scarce with leaves. Each timber is trimmed of its lush foliage. Those wonderful shades of scarlet, copper, and amber are abandoned to autumn’s bark. Soon only a handful will remain on the trees. By the winter they’ll all be stark - How can they let all their leaves fall away?
What secrets do they hold that I don’t know?
Maybe, it’s a reluctant acceptance: they know that the leaves must move away and go to better places. Although they’re long gone, other new leaves will return by the spring. Such is the way of nature. Seasons will come and go, but the trees remain rooted till the end of their time. They flourish and decay. They welcome arrivals and bid farewell to departures. Although the cycle is always bittersweet, and the trees won’t reunite with the leaves someday, perhaps they know that the connection will live on forever.
The stormy weekend brought in some melancholy thoughts about saying goodbye to people during different chapters of our lives. I wanted to capture this sentiment and highlight that although people will inevitably move on, they’re not gone forever in our hearts and minds.