"Little Tree" by Loren Long

"The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let things go..." I was reminded of that quote while reading this book that is perfect for the fall season about change and the challenge of letting go.

Five years ago I was living in the Hudson Valley during a terrible fall snowstorm that basically cancelled Halloween that year. It was a particularly dangerous storm that led to widespread power outages for one simple reason: the trees hadn't lost their leaves yet. The weight of the snow caught on trees with leaves caused healthy trees to lose heavy branches or uproot entirely. "Aha!" I thought, "so, THIS is why trees must lose their leaves each year." Loren Long has a much more poetic and, frankly, better reasoning for this phenomenon in "Little Tree." In "Little Tree" a young tree doesn't let go of its leaves. Seasons change, the forest animals encourage the tree, but still it refuses. Eventually the trees around the little tree grow tall. The little tree decides for itself it is time to let go and does. As its last leaves fall, the cold winter air chills the tree. But, spring eventually arrives and the little tree finally experiences growth. Growing is hard. Letting go of what feels comfortable and known is hard. This is a great children's book to teach kids that although change can be scary, and you may even face your first harsh winter, that eventually the season will change and continue to for as long as you choose growth. This subject is applicable to all ages and reminded me of an intriguing podcast about the seasons of life. I highly recommend giving it a listen. The link to that can be found on our Facebook page, direct link is in our bio. Give us a "like" while you're there!