The Fall peaked here in Georgia this past week. The leaves on the red maple tree we planted so many years ago turned the most beautiful shade of red, orange, and yellow I’ve ever seen it produce. It appeared to exude a warm bright light and energy that brought such beauty to the space. The colors of Fall…a small reflection of my soul.
Melanie’s Meadow sits in the direct line of sight behind the tree, and each day as I made my way down the driveway it brought a smile to my face as I observed her meadow through the beauty of the leaves. I realized the colors of Fall, are indeed a small reflection of my soul, bringing some warmth, light, and happiness even in the midst of some underlying sadness.
A reminder, we truly can be both grateful for what we have and grieving for what we have lost.
Recently, I came across this lovely photo with all the beautiful stones stacked on top of one another. I first noticed how they were are all different sizes, each one individually, so unique and pretty. Some have lines, some have spots, and some are solid black with no color at all.
Then, I immediately noticed how they are leaning off kilter, not centered, or standing up straight. The stones reminded me of myself and where I am on this journey of grief.
Some days I am still very much off-kilter, and not standing strong. Some days it’s hard to concentrate and my memory is nothing like it used to be before Melanie died.
In case you’re wondering – grief brain is real.
As I continued looking at this photo I noticed the beautiful heart at the base of the stones. The base is the strongest part, where it bears all the weight of what it’s carrying. Isn’t that similar to us? Our hearts are at the core of our being. For me, it’s the place deep within that God created and continues to heal.
Just like this stack of stones, even if I’m a bit off center some days, there is still strength and beauty within. God isn’t finished with me yet, and for that I’m ever so grateful.
