A recent walk through a local park brought these questions to mind: What aspects of our personality do we prefer to tuck away and keep out of sight? And how does our notion of perfection impact our shame and fear. What do we currently spend time omitting and what could we accomplish if we spent our energy in more meaningful ways.
While most of us gather fallen leaves and stuff them into bags that will be sent off to landfills, Madison Square Park in New York City has stopped this practice. At one of the park’s entrances there is a sign that reads: Leaves are important to soil and plant health. They act as insulation, creating a microclimate that protects plants and beneficial microorganisms from the winter cold. As leaves break down, they add nutrients and humus to the soil.
What if we thought about our own transformation in the same way? Realizing that all of our parts can be beneficial and useful. That they contain value and contribute to our wellbeing and, therefore, need not be eliminated. It is a new way of relating to what we sometimes call our imperfections or character defects.
We are encouraged to manufacture artificial personas that we present to the world. If we believe we have to destroy parts of ourselves as we grow and change we will work hard to create an image that is pristine but false. This benefits no one. Our traits and history, the things that make us who we are, provide necessary components for an integrated self and for renewal.
To “leave the leaves” is to do away with all the excess editing: to quit plucking and pruning. To support our natural cycles and rhythms and to nurture our own recovery process. Embracing the messiness, the beauty – the births and deaths in between.