Unfortunately, my camera has seen it’s last days so I can’t share a picture of the radiant foliage out my back window,  what I can do is gently suggest that you check out the foliage near you.

Fall is amazing. As the weather changes, the trees conserve energy so less chlorophyll is produced and the green of the leaves fades, revealing other colors. {Note: I am not a tree scientist, I am a geologist but this is a crude description of what happens.}

Each fall we rake the leaves in our yard and “store” them in the garden to use as mulch or fertilizer next season. This weekend,  my son asked about why we use them in the garden. I explained that the leaves grow on the trees and take in sunlight and drink in the nutrients from the ground and adding this to our soil is like giving our garden a vitamin. Now he thinks of leaves as vitamins.

What I like about this story is that I didn’t get into the chemistry, in his mind the gnomes paint the leaves new colors while Jack frost walks the woods. I encourage his spectacular imagination {without leading it on}, and he understands that even though the leaves die and fall from the trees, they are still useful.

We spent an hour this past weekend raking and talking about leaves, moving the leaves from one part of the yard to the other and playing in them. I think that as I share these experiences with my son, nature will teach him the valuable life lessons that he needs to grow up- like that death {of leaves} is not really the end for them- just a new beginning as worm food and plant vitamins.

Now get up; walk to the nearest window or door and look outside or better yet walk outside, kick up some leaves, absorb the process of change and energy conservation… and share something about this experience with a little person in your life.We can’t be wrong when we share from our experience.

Then come back here and tell me about it! I can’t wait to learn from you {and your young friends}!

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