Clues to human life can by found symbolic of trees, plants and nature. Humans are made up of a torso (trunk), arms and legs (limbs), blood running through our veins (veins of leaves), skin (bark) and a head (dome). Our fingers (twigs) hold onto the veins and blood of life that is inside of us. Each new season, we drop our leaves and attempt to leave (leaf) behind the season of the past and begin anew, just as the trees do. When we do this, we are firmly rooted to the ground with our head up in the sky, growing taller and greater in our strength as the years pass on. We develop more rings, emotional layers of protection, for our inner selves as we continue to find ourselves and become a whole person. We absorb water to sustain life, which is found in the season of rain, water being the symbol of emotions, tears. We take in water, and release it back out of our bodies removing harmful toxins or emotions, making room for healing and growth.

Reflecting on this reminded me of a book I read to my children when they were little, called 'Little Tree.' It is a story about a young tree in a young forest was afraid to shed its leaves come fall. It held on tightly to them, and managed to keep them all winter long. The other young trees in the forest shed theirs, and come spring had beautiful new leaves. The animals in the forest who were friends of the tree, encouraged him to shed his leaves so that he could grow with the others. Several more seasons passed, and the little tree was still the same size, while the others around him had grown into large adult trees. One season, the little tree finally had the courage to drop his leaves, and the forest cheered for him. As the next few seasons passed by, the little tree got the hang of this leaf dropping thing so well, that he rose to be the tallest tree in the forest. ❤️ This book has so much new meaning now than it did when I was a young mother!