Impressions

Crunch, crunch. The leaves under my feet made a lovely sound as I walked along the river today. Sunlight sparkled on the river, and the golden autumn leaves waved in the breeze. Feeling healthy and relieved to be done with class for another day, I breathed in deeply of the crisp, cool air. As the fallen leaves protested my footsteps, I noticed the impressions; impressions of leaves in the concrete.

The leaves had long since blown away, but their impressions were still evident in the concrete canvas. I started wondering what kind of impressions I make on those around me and what that looks like.

Realizing that the leaves' impressions were fleeting and would fade as the moisture evaporated, I wondered, too, how long the impressions I make will last.

As I continued to walk and wonder, I came to the end of the concrete and the beginning of asphalt. Being a completely different surface, the leaves made no impressions on it. "Am I impressionable?" I asked myself. "Am I capable of receiving impressions?"

I felt happy and lightened by the beauty of this beautiful earth. Calm and pleasant, the river wound through the trees at a leisurely pace. This time of year, the usual torrents of water have diminished to a gentle trickle, allowing the seagulls and ducks an easy wade in the shallows.

It felt so good to be alive. I felt grateful for eyes to see and ears to hear all of God's creations.

Seasons and transformations...beautiful to behold.