A farewell can be as small as a nose touching a fallen leaf. Beneath the old tree, the rabbit leans toward the last yellow leaf as evening settles over the river and hills. The gesture gives the changing season a tenderness that is easy to recognize, even without words.
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:”
Ecclesiastes 3:1 (KJV)
Ecclesiastes follows this verse with a series of contrasting experiences: birth and death, weeping and laughter, keeping and letting go. Together, they acknowledge the range of life and how much of its timing lies beyond our control. The passage makes room for different responses in different seasons.
The rabbit’s brief attention to the leaf suggests a way of honoring a moment before it passes. We do not need to rush toward the next chapter or make every ending sound cheerful. Something can have been good, and its passing can deserve our sadness.
A season of change may ask us to remember, give thanks, or allow ourselves time to adjust. These are meaningful ways of moving through it. May we have the patience to receive each season honestly, appreciating what it holds and treating ourselves and one another gently when it changes.