Kathy Martens

Love is better. Pass it on.

Unexpected Pleasure

Yesterday, I sat at my desk working. Some movement outside the window caught my eye. I looked and there was a small gold oak leaf spinning in the air. It didn’t fall; it just spun there, suspended. It danced and twirled. It darted from side to side and twirled some more. It was obviously trying to get my attention.

“Hey! Look at me! Whaddaya think ‘a that?”

I almost ignored it and went back to work. Yeah, leaf. Spinning in the air. Whatever.

But I remembered that this was what I have been asking for…

Curiosity. Wonder. Little joys.

The small sprig continued it’s playful jig, so I got up and watched it. As I moved closer to the window, I could see that it was suspended on a lone strand of spider web. The day was rainy, so there were drops of moisture on the strand and on the happy leaf. Miniscule diamonds shaped like smooth tears.

The intermittent breeze was her partner, pushing her gently this way and that, and she did triple and quadruple pirouettes just to show off. Every so often a ray of sun filtered through the cloudy sky so I could see that the wee dancer was costumed in gold-lamé. I expanded my awareness and everything around became the stunning backdrop for this amazing ballet. The rain brought up the saturation of color in the cedar and spruce needles, the tree bark, the grass. Everything was dripping with jewels.

An elaborate production was going on right under my nose while I was tap-tappity-tapping on my keyboard. I almost missed it; I almost forgot to live.

Thank you little leaf. Thank you for persisting.

Of course, I got out my camera. After a little snap-snappity-snapping, I thanked my friend and I returned to my work. My body felt lighter. My brain felt relaxed. My chest felt warmed, like just a little more of my self had awakened.

My Leafy Friends.

Click on any image to open the gallery. Use the arrows on sides to scroll forward and back. Enjoy 🙂

HappyLeaf-web
MyLeafyFriend-web
DarkLeaf-web
Leaf-in-the-light-web

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Comments

  2. Dianne....aka Starwalker

    Thanks for sharing your living leaf. What a lovely triple-symbiotic relationship–the wind, the web, the leaf.

    Once, I was outside enjoying the pleasures of a clear cerulean sky, sun-soaked tree leaves almost translucent in the golden stuff, and the sweet smell of someone’s fresh-mown grass. My attention was diverted by a happy Viceroy butterfly. She was whirling and twirling and dancing a dance of adoration to the splendor about us. Then I noticed something dangling, suspended magically in thin air. It was slowly spinning in a state of levitation. I walked right up to that spinner and saw the dark grey, crusty and lifeless womb the happy yellow butterfly had left behind to dangle by an almost invisible thread–spun by a spider, no doubt.

    That was before iPhones, and the only camera in our house at that time was Mom’s old Brownie box camera.. But by the powers of an excellent memory, I had that scene etched in some safe place to be released by your dancing leaf. Thanks!