“A kind old lady in Vermont said to us, ‘This year, the leaves are extra bright. It’s because of the drought. The stress put on the trees brings out their brightest colors‘. The harder the year, the brighter the leaves. The harder the life, if given the wisdom and luck to process it right…the brighter the smile, the deeper the empathy, the broader the kindness.”
-Jedidiah Jenkins
I love following Jedidiah Jenkins on Instagram. This past week he his friend, Ruthie, took a road trip through Vermont, courtesy of Landrover. (What a dream gig, huh?)
In one of his captions he talked about how Ruthie, who was in a horrible car accident her senior year of high school, now lives with an incredible amount of chronic pain- but you’d never know it because “she doesn’t lead with her pain…she leads with her smile“.
I loved that. The idea that someone could lead with their smile…and that he notices she does. He went on to say, “She teaches me the value of suffering. The cost of the brightness of our leaves“.
That last line (and the ones at the top of this post) had me thinking all afternoon, so I thought I’d share it here for Thought-Full Thursday. Hope it’s interesting/inspiring for some of you to think on too. XO
Lovely and inspiring thoughts. Thanks a bunch!
Loved this!
Thank you Layla.
I’m so glad, Heather! Thank you for commenting! XO
A resounding AMEN to that!!!!!
Lovely thoughts except for drought doesn’t cause more vibrant colors. Research it. Many trees will drop leaves before the color change and the colors will be more muted.
I’m sure Ruthie is a great inspiration to her family, friends and others.
Hmmm…I took your advice and “researched it”, and everything I’m reading goes along with what that “kind old lady” had to say. Here’s one of the (many) snippets I read:
“Experts are saying one good thing could come from the drought, bright shades of red, orange, and yellow. Horticultural Educator, Ricky Kemery at Purdue University says the drought this summer left a lot of trees “stressed out,” meaning their leaves will turn more quickly and more vibrantly than healthier trees.”
The United States National Arboretum said a Spring with ample moisture that is followed by a very dry Autumn provides the best weather conditions for development of the brightest fall colors.
Either way, what a blessing to see God’s handwriting on the trees like that each Fall, huh? 🙂
Sylvia: I agree, I also read the same. Drought and dry weather, here in New England anyway (CT), is making the leaves fall, even before they turn, and is making the leaves less vibrant for those leaves left on the trees… as you wrote: muted colors. I remember it was the same last year too (and I believe the year before that also). I feel badly for those coming/driving to CT to see the leaves and they are not that great. 🙁
Best,
Gloria
As a senior that drives but 100 miles a month I sometimes am homebound. That is what I love about following certain blogs. You feel connected to others and it feels good to know others feel and appreciate the things you do. And you can learn from them, too.
Your blog is the first blog I started following years ago. I love it and appreciate it so much.
Thank you for commenting, Peggy. I am grateful to “know” you here, and I hope you’re having a beauty-full week. XO
I totally agree! Unless you experience the downs, you can’t appreciate the ups. Growing up, we had it bad financially, as a result of losing my dad at a young age. I now am so thankful to have the life I now have, but am not afraid that I could lose it, because I know it’s survive-able. Just like the leaves, one year may be bad, but the next could be heavenly!
So glad I found your blog, Layla. What a lovely, uplifting post…thank you for sharing.
This post was very timely. I’ve been going through a hard time the last few years. I’ve gotten very bitter and cynical and have doubted God’s goodness. Recently I’ve been reading Viktor Frankl’s book Man’s Search for Meaning. He talks about how one can find meaning through suffering. Not the kind of suffering you can remove yourself from, but the kind that you have no choice but to endure. Like a sickness, or a heartache, or being a prisoner. He himself was a prisoner in a concentration camp. The concept was a revelation. I may not be able to control my circumstances, but I can control how I respond to them. Sounds like Ruthie’s responding beautifully. What a precious example she is.
Thank you, Melanie! Reading your reply reminded me that I have Frankl’s book waiting for me on my Kindle. It was recommended to me a few years back while I was caring for my mother who was a hospice patient. I had no time to read it then, but I did purchase it to read when I could. It is now on my list to read next.
So glad it got back on your radar, Leslie!
Such a beautiful quote and post, Layla! Thank you so much for sharing your own and others’ experiences and words of wisdom. I agree with those who commented that your blog is wonderful and amazing way to feel connected with others. It’s different than being face-to-face, but still significant and meaningful.
What a wonderful thought provoking post!
Just……ohhhhhh. Oh what a beautiful idea.
Lovely, Layla…I have had a LoT of those heartaches in my life that have hopefully made me a more caring, understanding, compassionate person. I do not pretend to never cry and feel the depths of the sorrow. I think those parts are also what make us understand the pain of another’s. I truly loved this Thoughtful Thursday.