It begins with a kiss.

In late September, early October, I notice a leaf here and there, changing from green to a hint of red. I could easily miss that subtle kiss of death, but I love fall, even the overcast days. (Endless sunny summer days make me think of a fool who can’t stop grinning.) By then, I crave more depth, even the edgier side of nature. And so, I welcome The Kiss.

More of What You Are

As we age, the cranky become crankier. The loving become more understanding and kind. The wealthy give more. The courageous, more risk-taking. Humor becomes more pointed. We begin to stick out from the crowd.

I think then we demolish barriers that may have kept us oh so politically and socially correct. I don’t mean we insult people, but rather, we share more freely what we’ve learned. The world is better when our hard-earned true colors emerge. We become like trees in the fall, no longer fitting in with green leaves, but standing out, our colors flying. Each tree, once green, now wildly different from its neighbor, waves its message for all to see.

Early in the metamorphosis, green and colored leaves live together, each complimenting the other. Like this pin oak in my backyard.

 It makes me think of working and living with people of all ages, older and younger blending together. It has its own kind of beauty.

But soon things change, and russet overtakes green. The tree’s hidden color emerges, and green disappears.

Lord God, as we age, may our hidden colors emerge to make our world more grace-full.