Some people fall with force. They come loud and fast. Their fall from grace holds all the glory of a comet in the night sky. The crash, and their burning light can be seen for miles.

And then, there are those who fall with the silence of a leaf on a cold winter morning. They lose their grip on the tree of life and float down slowly, swaying in the breeze.

Both falls happen, yet only one will stop people in their tracks. Only one will cause people to notice.

Fear not little leaf, for your fall is no less important. It is no less stunningly tragic. There is beauty and honor in your fall just as the rest. Never feel that you are less important because you do not leave a trail in the sky. You are just as much a part of nature’s plan.

I once had a friend tell me “the baby who cries the loudest gets the milk.”

Do not feel discouraged when people don’t notice you. Just because your cries are not as loud do not mean they are not as important. Just because you do not make noise does not mean that you can’t be heard. It simply means you are not calling attention. It means that summoning a crowd is not your being. There is no shame in being silent.

However little leaf, if you ever feel that the breeze has turned into a gust, please know that you have the capability of being noticed. One leaf, even the smallest, most delicate of them, can cause a ripple in the water.

You are a creature of nature. You are delicate and beautiful and are here for a reason. Your silence is proof of your strength. Your silence is proof that you are capable of more than you could ever imagine. A word in the midst of a few has more importance than the word surrounded by many.

As you fall, understand that you will come gently to rest on the earth, and there is nothing more solid than that. You will be cradled by the very thing you grew from. Comets may light up the sky, but they crash into Earth.

Just as a fish should not judge his intelligence by his ability to climb a tree, do not judge your issues by their ability to draw a crowd.

Little leaf, your falling is okay. You are meant to do so. There is nothing wrong with it. There have been leaves to fall before you, and I promise that we are here to catch you when you land. We will not gawk at your fall, but rather cushion your landing.

I know the breeze may seem strong, but this is what you were created for, have faith.

Your’s truly,

A fellow fallen leaf