Hyphenated-Homestead

This fall, the two red point maple trees we planted last year have undergone a beautiful transformation. Their once-green leaves have turned a brilliant red, adding a striking splash of color to the yard. It’s hard to believe they were so different just a few weeks ago.

Watching these trees adapt to the changing season is a reminder of nature’s rhythm – growing, changing, shedding, and beginning again. Each year, the trees embrace this process without hesitation. Their colors shift with the season, and when the time is right, they let go of their leaves, preparing for the stillness of winter.

It’s a quiet reminder that change is not something to fear. In nature, change is simply part of the life, something that happens without fanfare. The trees don’t cling to their leaves or resist the colder months. They shed what’s no longer needed, trusting that spring will bring new growth.

There’s a lesson here that applies more broadly. We often feel the pressure to keep things as they are, to avoid disruption. But just like the trees, there’s a value in letting go when the time comes, in making space for renewal—even if that renewal is a little ways off.

In winter, the trees will stand bare, but they aren’t lifeless. Beneath the surface, they are preparing for the next season, gathering strength for the burst of life that spring will bring. It’s a reminder that periods of stillness are just as important as periods of growth.

The cycle of the trees teaches us that change doesn’t always need to signal a dramatic shift. Sometimes, it’s simply part of the natural order, a step forward. And just as the trees will bloom again in spring, life isn’t about holding on—it’s about flowing with the seasons, accepting change, and trusting that new growth will always follow.

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