Despite the cooling weather, I still spend as much time as I can on my deck overlooking the pond behind and to the north of my house. I am astonished by the glory of the trees on all sides of me as their leaves change hue. I am surrounded by the colors of fall, ranging from the normal shades of green, from pale to deep, to vivid yellows, oranges, and reds. It is a riot of colors displayed in deep silence against a sky of vibrant blue. Except for a slight breeze now and then, it is a show of static glory.
This extravagant yet humble display reminds me of my own insignificance. I can neither alter nor add to nor detract from the glory before me. It exists indifferent to me. Whether I live or die, it will go on in its magnificence. What I can do or be or feel is trivial by comparison.
Sometimes the splendor of nature offers us a lesson on our own miniscule importance.
Tom Glenn, Writer 