The other night I as lying awake and this little story came to me. I knew I had to write it down. It has very personal meaning to me--so I dedicate it to my best friend-who I was missing very much that night. love ya liss!

Leaves
by Rachel Byers


Once there was a small tree started to grow on a very large hill. As the tree grew two little leaves found themselves sharing a branch. Soon the leaves became the best of friends, sharing the wonders of the new world together.

On windy days, they danced together, letting the wind create music as it whistled past them. It was music unlike anything the world had heard before.

On sunny days, they stretched as wide as they could so that they joined together to create shade for the little boys and girls playing at their feet. On these days, people mistook them for being just one leaf.

On rainy days they sang and danced in the rain. At times when the rain seemed to beat down too much, they took turns protecting each other from the storm.

When fall arrived, they delighted in the beauty of the colors around them. One leaf turned a bright red. One a softer yellow. Each felt the other got the prettier color, but it was their beauty together that made the children stop and stare.

Winter came, and the leaves softly floated down to the ground for a long winters nap,

But winter doesn’t last. Soon the sun came out, and the leaves awoke to find themselves on the same tree—only now the tree was a little bigger and a little stronger. And so were the leaves.

Year after year the tree grew. Year after year the leaves Sang, danced, weathered storm and sun, changed colors, and fell to the ground, only to return in the spring.

One spring, however, something was different. As one of the leaves woke up, she realized she was all alone. She looked everywhere for her friend. But she was nowhere to be found.

That year, the wind blew a little harder, making a sad tune as it rushed by the leaf.

The sun seemed hotter than it ever had before.

The rain beat harder and more often then ever before, almost as if it was crying with the leaf. She missed her friend.

Fall came to the hill. The leaf looked around trying to appreciate the beauty of the colors around her. One by one leaves fell to the ground preparing for their winters nap. The leaf shivered in the crisp air. Until…

Something caught her eye.

On the other side of the hill a new small tree stretched toward the sky. On it was the most brilliant red leaf anyone had ever seen. It was surrounded by lots of little red leaves that seemed to be looking at it for guidance. The little yellow leaf smiled. She had found her friend.

A slight breeze picked up as the yellow leaf started to fall to the ground. In that breeze it seemed that the red leaf was waving to her old friend. The yellow leaf continued to fall, feeling happy again.