Simply Pure

Hello moths!

I took this picture about two months back, and every time I look at it, I relive the emotions I felt when first encountered it. I know, that sounds silly but I have this deep connection with nature, and I believe that this leaf is a metaphor for something really special. Now I know what you're thinking:

It's a dead leaf Bri...

Just take a closer look, what do you see?

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Still don't see it? (fine, I'll tell you) 

Directly in the center is a perfectly shaped heart--see it now?? How adorable is that? I'm a pretty vigilant person, so as I'm walking to class all of a sudden this little dead leaf stopped me *dead* in my tracks and made me back up to take a closer look. I was so in awe of this perfect heart being in the middle of this leaf on the sidewalk. Now I know plants/leaves/dead leaves don't have feelings (I'm not that crazy) but it almost gives you a sense of how precious life is. We, as humans, coexist with so many other things on this planet, from animals to trees to the smallest flowers. Together we are whole. One day, we will all die (a simple fact of life) because, well, that's the circle of life. Organisms are born, they live, and they return back to the earth in death. It's actually a really beautiful concept the way we once again become a part of that which we originated. That's another thing to point out: our culture in America is one that absolutely fears death and generally avoids discussing it, from the way we bury the dead in coffins that are hidden underground, to the way the media never shows funerals or related images. In the bible (not getting too religious here) bodies of the dead were exhibited on open tables where loved ones and those around them could view the deceased with respect and clarity. It wasn't a scary or disgusting thing, it was a part of the culture of that time because death was universally accepted (that, and the bible ensured those who repented their sins and lived an honest life had no reason to fear dying). Whether you are a religious person or not, it is a beautiful concept. Death is such a feared thing today that we sometimes divert our attention away from life and focus on what will happen once it comes to an end. Live the best life you can and take the most out of it: if this one life is all we get, then you better be damn sure you live it to the fullest. Otherwise, be a kind and compassionate human being and you will be rewarded for it in the end, simple as that. It's a little something to think about. 

Anyway, the thing I was getting at with the leaf is that yes, it is a dead leaf, but even in death it has this little beautiful image within it--in the shape of a heart. This dead leaf had the power to make me, a human being, stop and take a second look at it. How amazing is that? I think it's important to really connect to our surroundings and have love and respect for every single element that exists around us. We are often times a selfish species, believing we are at the top of this "pyramid," but simply being able to reason or converse does not make us pure. A human woman nursing her newborn baby is no more pure than a gorilla doing the same for hers. We are simply a reflection of the environment around us (one of which we have manipulated and exploited, leading to the misdirection of human nature). Who is to say we are the highest power? Nature is constantly retaliating, showing her supernatural powers in the form of hurricanes or tornadoes, things that are uncontrollable and exposes the vulnerability of the human condition. The bottom line is that this dead leaf represents the purity of nature. Nature does not think ill of others, does not judge, does not seek material things: it simply is. What's more beautiful than that (besides you, of course..)?

Let's aspire to be as pure as the nature that surrounds us: that is my challenge to you. 

Happy living, moths. xoxo