From Growth to Gather

Yesterday marked the turning.

Today I wanted to notice it quietly.

I brought one green sprig in from the garden and placed it beside an envelope of seeds I had saved.

One thing still growing.

One thing gathered and kept.

I left them near the window while there was enough daylight to see both clearly. Then I sat with them for a while.

This was the difficult part, mostly because sitting beside a window tends to reveal several other things one could be doing.

I remained extremely brave about it.

When the room began to dim, I lit one candle.

That was the whole ritual.

No grand declaration that the season had changed overnight. The garden certainly has not received that memorandum.

There are still green beans climbing the fence and tomatoes behaving as though they have several months left on the calendar.

But there are seeds in envelopes now, too.

So I let all three remain together in the fading light:

the living thing,

the gathered thing,

and the small light I chose to make.

Some things are still becoming.

Some things are ready to be gathered.

Both can be true.

Maybe that is enough wisdom for one little candle.