Autumn Leaves

Fun fact (learning fun facts is one of the many perks of homeschooling a second grader): the color that leaves turn in the fall is their true color. As it turns out, the green color that they are during their young & vibrant days is basically a chlorophyll mask. After the chlorophyll dies away and the leaves release their energy to the tree (which, in turn, stores it up in order to survive winter), their true color pigment shows through. 

Honestly, this blew my mind. I just assumed that the green is their true vivid color and the autumn colors we see (though beautiful they are) right before the leaves die are their dull “I’m losing steam” colors. In fact, those gorgeous autumn colors are the leaf’s chance to shine and show the world their true self - right at the end of their life. 

This gave me some hope. For myself. For humanity. 

I was talking with some girlfriends recently about what it’s like to be in our thirties. One of my friends is 29 and feeling hesitant about turning the big 3-0. But myself and the other girl convinced her that it’s actually been our favorite decade so far. And our main reasons had to do with the fact that those chlorophyll masks we wore in our younger days have started to die away. Our true colors are coming through. We don’t feel the pressure of comparison and we are learning who we really are in this world. 

Maybe that’s the journey of our identity. As our masks slowly die away, our true colors pop through, until one day we are vibrantly ourselves and we have passed all of our energy into the tree trunk that is humanity. 

I turned 35 this year, and it was my favorite birthday to date. I tossed aside the cultural pressure to feel upset about aging. Instead, I spent time taking stock of my life and really feeling grateful for it all. For who I am. Sometimes my true colors surprise me. & I’m learning to cherish myself and celebrate the true colors instead of hiding them.

Here’s to becoming autumn leaves.

XO,