Reading time:3 min read

The Fallen Leaves

I rise when no one sees. I rise when the season is favourable, when the weather is suitable. When I rise, I bring happiness to those who birthed me, and to those through whom I exist. My presence is first felt by my mother, and not by her alone, but also by those around her, friends, family, and companions.

I did not rise alone under my mother. We were many, and the presence of each one of us was felt. As we grew, we grew together, helping one another under the care and protection of our mother. Together, we dreamed and worked toward those dreams. Along the way, we faced challenges: rainstorms, harsh sunlight, bitter cold, and violent winds. Yet, these experiences shaped us; they not only challenged us but also prepared us for the lives we dreamed of.

As we grew, I often felt like giving up, quitting, or even running away. But later, I realized that without these experiences, none of us would have survived. At our peak, we began to prepare for the time when we would no longer have the strength to stand. We looked after the younger ones, mentoring and advising them on how to face what lay ahead, for our struggles would soon become theirs.

In time, the tables turned. The weather changed. Our strength faded. We were no longer attractive, no longer celebrated, no longer making headlines. The world grew beyond us, far beyond what we had imagined.

Now, we possess less: less sun, less rain, fewer storms. Our mentees have grown beyond doubt, and this brings us joy, for they are now our protectors. They stand at their peak, shaped by experience and guided by our counsel, but neither do they know that they, too, will soon leave that stage.

At this point, there is no strength left to continue, no more dreams, no more chances. Time has run out. We try to cling to our source, but the strength is no longer there. Our peers begin to fall, one after another.

A painful lesson reveals itself: after their fall, life goes on, and mourning and tears last only for a while. Then the fall comes. There is no strength left to hold on. I drift from the top to the bottom, landing helplessly, waiting for what lies ahead. Yet, in that brief descent, I catch a final glimpse of what I lived for. For the first and last time, I see the full body of the tree. I smile, realizing that my life did not perish in vain; it laid a stronger foundation for the coming generation.

Then another thought arises. My complaints, my worries, my possessions are all left behind, ready to be claimed by others. At that moment, I understand that I should have cared less, because nothing truly belongs to us. I rose alone and also fell alone. And thus, the era of the rise and fall of the leaves comes to an end.