Subtle

It’s autumn so it should be no surprise that the landscape is rich with the colors of fallen or falling leaves. Perhaps it’s slightly more surprising to notice the turning of this cedar. I’m not sure whether these qualify as evergreens although it’s clear that at least some of these are no longer green.

 Evergreen? Deciduous? It’s an example of life not falling into my tidy categories. As is often the case, the categories set up to make sense of our world can break down as we realize things are more subtle than it first appears. While it doesn’t appeal to the part of me that feels safer in certainty, it is a blessing to my feelings of wonder and, at times, delight. Seeing categories break down can be liberating, if unnerving.

It seems to me that that’s the nature of change – a mix of feelings of wonder with perhaps a touch of dread. I’m looking for a meditation that helps me remember that all is well, that balances the discomfort of change with the certainty of tomorrow’s sunrise.