Project 64: Raw Sienna

They’re gone now, but I think I know who is to blame. Those deafening 17-year cicadas came, conquered and left. But not without leaving a little reminder of themselves…both in and on the ground. I don’t know for sure if they are the leaf-eating culprits, but they’re not here anymore, so they’re as good a target as any.

But, even though their voracious appetite riddled the leaves and left them piled under the trees, when you look at the result, it’s a lovely effect. Interesting and unique, none are exactly the same…and it’s a reminder of how life can be.

We go along in life, minding our own business and everything is smooth sailing until……

Until something unexpected occurs; something out of our control; something that rocks our calm sea and we’re left looking like this leaf…with a life that looks totally different from before, but underneath, it’s still the same leaf life.

While it’s true this leaf will never be the same, that’s not saying it was destroyed. Because after the battle with the bugs was finished, the result was something totally different, but equally lovely. And that’s true with life as well. Life’s battles riddle the very fabric of our lives and forever change us. But that doesn’t mean our life is destroyed. Struggles and trials transform us…many times into something better than what we were before. And while we can never go back to exactly what we were before the attack, when someone takes time to really see us now, they notice something equally beautiful.

Just like I did when I picked up this lacy leaf.

 Sub­mitted for Project 64: Out of the Box