I’ll Leaf You With This Thought - On Autumn, Letting Go, and the Beauty of Release

A rushed October morning, the scent of fallen leaves, and a quiet invitation to let go.

It was 9:30 on a late October morning, and I was hurriedly walking to catch the bus for work. The sky was a clear blue, the sun was still low, and the air had that crisp freshness that wakes up all your senses.

As someone with low vision, I’ve learned to rely on my other senses to stay aware and experience the world around me. Like a dog, I’ll often stop and sniff the air, a bush, a boot that looks like leather—you get the point. I smell everything.

On this particular morning, despite my quick pace, I noticed the smell of freshly fallen leaves. Do you know the smell? It stirs up memories of frolicking in giant leaf piles, endless hours of raking, and that nagging fear that I might get head lice if I dove into those piles of decaying leaves. You know what I’m talking about.

Back to my walk.

As I tried to take deep breaths while keeping up my speed (I always leave right on time—or truthfully, a bit late), I found myself both annoyed that I couldn’t stop for a proper whiff and in awe that fallen leaves have such an aromatic, inviting scent.

But why? Why would the start of death in nature smell so good?

From a practical perspective, I suppose we can be thankful it does. Could you imagine if fallen, decaying leaves stank like death? We’d spend six weeks breathing into our sleeves and gagging on the stench.

Fall signals the end of summer—the end of a season of growth, warmth, and long days full of color and light. Autumn is the segue into barren trees, air that bites your face, and long, dark nights.Yes, snow is beautiful… but so are the Caribbean seas.

Again—why the beauty in death? Why a season of hibernation and seemingly endless months of winter?

Perhaps fall is a time of sweet reflection—of breathing deeply and remembering the scent of lilac bushes in full bloom. Maybe it’s a time to look inward and see if there are thoughts, beliefs, or even hurts we can let die.

Can we forgive the one who wounded us?Can we let that leaf drop—savor the release—and breathe in the air of forgiveness?

Maybe autumn is simply a reminder that we need rest. It’s nature’s (or God’s) way of slowing us down and parking our butts on the couch for a change.

At this point, you might be thinking, “Okay, Shelley—nothing like overanalyzing a pile of leaves.” And that’s fair.

So I’ll leaf you with this thought (pun fully intended):

Make time to reflect at the end of every season.Don’t be afraid to let go of what no longer serves you.Inhale deeply and enjoy the scent of release.And trust that something good is still growing.

“Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go.” — Unknown

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