Leaves

I am taking a break from raking the many leaves that have fallen in my back yard. At first I found it amusing to think that at a time of year when it is time to release things that no longer serve your highest good, that I am gathering together a bunch of dead leaves. Then I realized that I was forgetting about the next step, which is throwing them away. So ritualistically I am gathering all of the dead and decaying things in my life and throwing them out. Whether a person celebrates Samhain or not, it is a good idea to rake the leaves in one's life at least once a year, if not more. When we wait for just this one opportunity at Samhain, it ends up being more work than if we get into a habit of cleaning up on a more regular basis. Being human is a condition that seems to prevent us from easily sloughing off attachments that no longer serve us, yet with wisdom, we can learn this skill. At the opposite end of the spectrum of Samhain is the idea of rebirth from the ashes of death. This side of Samhain fits nicely with releasing, because once we allow ourselves to dispose of the dead leaves, we will have more room in our yard for new things to grow and for things that were hidden by the debris, to be able to grow again.
Watching the earth quiet down and go into dormancy, reminds me of how I am but a small part of this wondrous planet we call home. It helps me to realize that indeed, the world does not revolve  around me. My joys and sorrows do not affect the falling leaves, the driving rain or the beautiful round moon that has been shining in our sky these last few nights. However, my joys and sorrows can serve to make me a better person if I use these experiences in order to help others, even if it is in a small way. Gratitude for the joys in life, and acceptance of the inevitable sorrows, are a means of learning compassion for others, both human and animal. When we are living our lives with more compassion, then perhaps it becomes less important to brag about the new job, the new house, the new car etc. because we understand that there are others who are struggling to keep their heads above water. Bragging about your new found love or newly adopted child is not being mindful of all of the people who are still struggling to partner up or who cannot have children or afford to adopt one. Bragging about an upcoming trip to some wonderful place is not being mindful of the people who cannot travel or know they never will because of a series of circumstances. Being mindful does not mean that we cannot fully express our joy and excitement about the good things going on in our lives. Rather it is how we do it, to whom we say it, where we present this and how often we keep our news in the forefront of others, who are not invested in this experience, that shows our degree of mindfulness.
In the harshest sense of the word, no one really cares about the goings on in your life nearly as much as you do. It sounds harsh for ego ears to hear, but the soul knows the truth and is not hurt by this realization because life is not about the fancy cars, the expensive technology, the big houses and all of the other bling we amass throughout our lives. Our human experience is about how good a friend, partner,parent, or caregiver we are. In a world where we are striving to be more mindful of mother earth, we seem to have forgotten about being more mindful of the humans who inhabit it.