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Jumping In The Leaves
It was many years ago when my grown children were still young. A warm Indian Summer had blessed us with a beautiful Wednesday. It was the day before Thanksgiving and the temperature was in the seventies with a gentle breeze in the air. My wife was baking pumpkin pies to take to her Mom’s house for Thanksgiving dinner, so I decided to take the three kids to a local park for the afternoon. Mighty Oak trees throughout the park had laid down a blanket of dry leaves on the ground. I found an old fallen tree branch nearby and decided to make some good use of it. Using it as a rake I slowly made several huge piles of leaves on the side of a hill. Then I called my children over. They knew just what to do. The next hour was spent jumping, sliding, running, and playing in the leaves. We took turns burying each other. We played hide and seek. We pretended to be leaf monsters. And we saw who could make the biggest splash in the dry and crunchy piles. It was a magical time full of smiles, laughter, and the simple joys of childhood. After that day too we made many more happy trips to the park to play in the leaves. Happy memories of loving times are a lot like those fallen leaves in November. They nourish the soil of our souls and bring forth new life inside of us whenever we think of them. They give us the strength to keep on creating fresh joy and a new Springtime everyday of our lives. This Thanksgiving then give a special "Thank You" to God for all of your happy memories and loving times. And also whenever you get the chance, jump in the leaves! |
