deciduous

So I'm back teaching one day a week. I have been so blessed to have recieved a job at Lucy's school in the year 6/7 class on Fridays. I won't lie, it has thrown me a bit. This head of mine has been stuffed full of nappies and baby jargon for a while now so getting back into planning units has taken some adjusting.

Last Friday was my first day and despite Lucy marching me to my class, her hand in mine and beaming from ear to ear that we were both at school for the day, my stomach was a bundle of knots. She waved me good bye and I was left wondering when precisely on that walk that we swapped roles.

My day however was fantastic. The class was a joy and a text from Marcus at Lunch to say that Nate had taken the bottle put me at ease. Phew!

But I have been teaching juniors most my teaching life and this was a senior class. I realised this pretty early on when I was asked how to spell the word deciduous. Hmmmm, no more cat, hat, sat then. (I got out of it, my secret of been the worst speller in the world still intact by turning it into a "lets brush up on how we use a  dictionary moment.")

It does however give me a good segue for these photos. All of the plants in our garden are ever green, nice low maintenance type shrubs and hedges. All except the crab apple tree in the middle of our back yard. It is deciduous and it has become one of my most favourite things. I look out at it from my kitchen window and I get to watch the seasons on it. You might remember Marcus putting fairy lights in it for me this year which had my heart a glow. Well now it is in a glow all of it's own with rich autumn colours.

The definition of deciduous I have learnt through the whole dictionary moment is something which regularly sheds part of itself.  I knew that already but it was something about seeing it in print which spoke to my heart.  Right now with what has happened to Marcus, our little family is going through a shedding process, getting rid of all unnecessary pulls on our time, finances, lifestyle. Right back to basics. To what is important. To what brings joy. Funny how those basics get layered up so that a regular shedding is necessary. But I also love how everything has a season and that a season is but a short time in the whole scheme of things. I think when God created plants back in the beginning that he would have created them all deciduous, knowing the importance of shedding and starting over every now and then.  The idea that appearances must be held up 24/7, that things need to bloom and produce all year round  just doesn't seem real or natural. It may look nice but then I may as well have plastic plants in my garden.

I never used to like deciduous trees in winter but looking out at our crab apple tree as it sheds it's leaves there is something beautiful in that silhouette of branches. It is exposed, laid bare. It is honest and real in it's nakedness and in that lies beauty.