Autumn In My Backyard Temple

This autumn morning in my backyard temple it's a crystal-clear day. My friend, the Cosmic Tree, stands illuminated. Its golden leaves glowing in the light of the rising sun.
 
Having returned after a month of teaching, I see how the great tree has shifted from the fresh green of spring and the lushness of summer to shades of orange, yellow, and brown. There are hints of decay, and leaves drop here and there. This radiant burst of colors is the tree's final display before all its foliage falls, leaving bare branches to make space for winter's unique and austere beauty.
 
Part of what makes my tree cosmic — and every tree — is its steady presence through all seasons, standing tall through the most severe changes and inclement weather. No complaints, no holding on, no longing for what was. It simply adapts.
 
I, too, am experiencing my own changing of seasons — physically and psychically. With age, it becomes ever more apparent that I am no longer who I once was. Some versions of my past self are easy to let go of, while others are harder to shed. Unlike my hero, the Cosmic Tree, I sometimes fall into wishing I could return to who I was, or that I could go back and do things differently — to be better, or more. Yet, such thoughts are often a waste of time.
 
The truths that guided me before may not serve me now, and that doesn’t negate their value in the past. Life calls for adaptability; it demands that I claim today’s truth, even if it contradicts yesterday’s. Everything material shifts and transforms, so why would I think that I am exempt from this inevitable, ever-turning cycle? Who I was cannot remain who I am today.
 
Perhaps, like the tree with its blazing farewell of colors, I can celebrate the past while letting it fall gracefully, returning to the earth. If I want today’s joy and ecstasy, I must accept change and release the longing for who I was, even if it seemed right, true, or good. New paths await, and my steadfast friend, the Cosmic Tree, shows me how to embrace change with calm jubilation and grace.