Leaf

Imagine a leaf, broken free of its ties to the healthy branch. The strong gusts rip it from it's security and lifeline and suddenly what was once a small part in a uniform of a thriving system of life is now at the mercy of forces impassable. So it is the way we leave our houses each day. We may kiss goodbye our loved one, a parent, or a friend. We may leave casually, apprehensively, or in a rush. It doesn't matter, the manner. What does matter is that the moment one steps forward from their house, they subject themselves to forces unknown and out of their control.

I can't help but each time I visit with my newborn niece, see the fraility to her life. She is but a tiny bud, clinging dearly to the strong protective branches around her. Yet the time will come when she has unfurled into a green, lush leaf, soaking the the sweetness of the rain and the comfort of the sun. But that day will come when the firm grasp loses its power. Not by her own decision, but by decisions made by other forces, she will put out into a frontier much larger than she ever imagined. Suddenly that massive oak she was once apart of is but a speck on the horizon. Before her are thousands of oaks and pines towering above. Acres and acres of unexplored meadows unfurl before her. And at lands end, the solemn power of the ocean awaits.

I don't want to disucss the fears of leavin that oak. Rather I want to talk about the beauty of the exploration. Hearing new languages, breathing in new smells, and seeing dazzling and rare colors are explosions of sensory memories that can be experienced abroad. For me, my times abroad have brought about a understanding of the world that is hard to explain. It isn't necessarily any better than another's, but my mind has been open up to systems that I didn't know existed. I have heard ideas I never knew were real. Finally, I have been able to see life, and understand what it means, from many different lenses. There is beauty in a mural of emotions, smells, tastes, views, morals, and thoughts.

No, I am not a universalist. My core morals and values remain. But they remain in a much modified way. For example, my idea of relationships has transformed over the years. I still value friendships, but suddenly a friendship isn't necessarily a relationship built over time. Rather, my time abroad has forced me to trust people earlier, to reach out faster, and to connect better. I know have good friends in Washington state, Ghana, Holland, Australia, the UK, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Massachusettes, and California. I have known some but for a total a four weeks. But they are stil friends.

Many of us are full grown leaves. Yet unbeknownst to us, we are beyond our prime. Our bodies have been aching to leave the oak. Take the risk, and explore. Be rewarded in ways no one could for see. It is worth it. Life is out there. Breathe it in.