LEAF ME ALONE

“...Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit:...” (from Daniel 4:14)

I’ve got sort of a love/hate relationship with the Fall. My favorite seasons are both Spring and Fall, and I can take or leave Winter and Summer...well, I can LEAVE Winter, thank you! Summer is just too hot and Winter is just too cold and too snowy. All pastors know church attendance drops in Summer and Winter and rises in Spring and Fall. So Fall is good. The days are pleasant. The foliage is brilliant. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Fall would actually be my “very favorite” season, but for ONE thing: raking leaves!

In comparing mowing the lawn, shoveling snow, or raking leaves, raking leaves is definitely the worst of the three chores. Despite the heat and despite that fact that I’ve hit yellowjacket nests several times with the mower (one time landing me in a doctor’s office), mowing the lawn is generally a pleasant chore. I like to be by myself, and there’s something about just pushing that mower and the loud engine roar that’s very private and mentally relaxing. Shoveling snow is no piece of cake, but I’ve reached the point that unless the snowstorm is on a Sunday I don’t mind them so much. Yeah, shoveling’s lousy, but there’s something about coming inside after you shovel, putting your feet up, drinking hot chocolate and watching T.V. that’s very relaxing. After you cut the lawn or shovel the snow, you can SEE the fruit of your labor and that’s such an affirming feeling.

Now with leaves, you can rake and rake and rake, and look at the yard and it looks as if you’ve done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! My daughter Rachel is a great outdoor worker and does a great job helping with with all that outdoor stuff, but she’s away at college. I want to be careful how I say this about my son Jon, but as Barney Frank recently said about himself, he’s “not an outdoorsman”. (I was reluctant to use that example ‘cause Jon’s NOT gay!) This year I’ve done all the leaf work by myself. so far. I know you’ll think this is a bit obsessive/compulsive, but I keep records of how many bags of leaves I pick up each year. Over the years, I’ve averaged 36 in the Fall and usually about another 5 in the Spring. Last year, I picked up 30 bags of leaves in the Fall and another 5 in the Spring. The MOST leaves I’ve ever picked up in any Autumn was 41 bags a few years ago. This year I’ve almost hit my record. Yesterday, I bagged up 5 bags of leaves at home which made 40 for the season so far. I’d say I could still pick up 1 or 2 bags of leaves at home, but I got tired around 3:30 yesterday afternoon and called it quits. (I’d also bagged up 2 bags of leaves at the church property in the morning.)

We’ve got a LARGE Norway maple tree at home, among other trees. The Norway maple doesn’t even start changing color until around Oct. 25 and doesn’t start dropping leaves until Nov. 1, so I never get started with the leaves until around then. In other years, THIS week has always been the week of the “Vision New England Pastors’ Prayer Summit” in New Hampshire, but they decided not to have it this year. Normally, I’d have been away this week. Maybe that’s why my last day of picking up leaves is usually the day after Thanksgiving. I’m not sure if I’ll rake up any more leaves in ‘09 or if I’ll just get the rest in the Spring.

Yeah, raking leaves is a boring job that really seems like a waste of time. But then I think of the Memorial Service I conducted for Laureen last weekend, and I realize there are invalids who’d probably love to be outside raking and enjoying full use of their arms and legs. So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for the time I’ve gotten to be outdoors this Fall and I’m thankful the 40 bags of leaves are UP and not on the lawn!