Hello, fellow lover of all things green. In the spirit of completing my book, I plan to share bits of it going forward. It’s our book, really, as the column and your questions over the last thirteen years have contributed significantly to the mission, and I am so grateful. To follow is an overview of The Lesson of the Leaf, starting with the working title, subtitle, and cover blurb.
The Lesson of the Leaf
How Nature, Gardens (and Rescue Dogs) Help Heal and Grow Your Life.
Mary Elaine Stone
A garden and nature columnist and hospice volunteer shares
a journey from loneliness and loss ~ to love and hope…
Inspired by the wisdom her beloved brother left behind.
My Wish
I hope The Lesson of the Leaf helps readers overcome losses in the later seasons of life by finding wisdom and respite in the rhythm of nature and gardens. The book (like our column) is not only for those who love to dig in the dirt but for those who admire gardens and nature or wish to. And those who love dogs, which I grew to do after having a dreadful fear of them. Maybe it was unconditional love that I feared not having experienced such love until a couple of pups unexpectedly entered my life.
There are 18 chapters in The Lesson of the Leaf. Eighteen, 1 – 8 means being One with the Infinite—God, or your higher power. Each chapter intertwines nature and personal stories, sharing how nature and gardens helped heal and grow my life as I worked through the loneliness I felt as a child and recreated well into adulthood by choosing unavailable relationships in varying disguises. The story includes how my dreaded fear of dogs turned around after a spontaneous adoption of a couple of puppies, the positive outcome of a marriage that sadly ended years ago.
Then come two subsequent rescue dogs, Miss Ellie Mae and Jolee. After every storm, the sun shines again. The wisdom gained from my canine kids weaves through the book. I know you will enjoy that part, those of you with canine and feline kids, or pets of your choice. Their beautiful spirits bring such joy to our world.
Origin of The Lesson of the Leaf
The origin of The Lesson of the Leaf stems from my brother Bill when I gathered the courage to end the merry-go-round of a marriage ruined by the neglect and isolation of addiction—a tough time in my life. Bill and I became twins in third grade, always heart-to-heart, which is part of the story.
It was Election Day 2008, and I drove from an attorney appointment to town hall to vote. Out of the blue, Bill called. Never before had he called in the middle of a workday, but he felt my energy and sadness. Through ugly tears, I shared the recent details of the marriage struggle, which put my safety at risk.
But I still love him, I said. Bill asked if I had water nearby.
“Go there and find a leaf. Watch it maneuver through the current slowly, beautifully, and serenely. You see, none of us have control of the current — a parallel to the ebbs and flows in our lives. Let go, trust, and live calmly and serenely rather than resist the flow. Like the leaf in the water.”
I’ve observed hundreds of leaves since.
Little did I know that a few years after Bill shared The Lesson of the Leaf, his wisdom would see me through losing him, too, rolling right into the torturous, long goodbye of my mother with dementia.
I look forward to sharing the journey of healing and growth by integrating portions of the book into our weekly chats. I would love to hear your ideas, suggestions, and stories of how nature and gardens have helped heal and grow your life. Thank you for inspiring and encouraging me. I hope I do the same for you because we are all in this one world together, in the Garden of Life.
Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone@gmail.com and your favorite Podcast App.
There’s much more to the story in the Garden Dilemmas Podcast (a soothing 13 minutes) :
Bill sent this treasured Haiku after our talk that day, and I superimposed it on a photo taken in December 2008 sharing his passion for Tai Chi.
“Why # 7 of 81,” I asked.
“There are 81 verses in the Tao Te Ching.”
And so came Bill’s introduction to the Tao de Ching through Wayne Dyer’s book
The 81 chapters in the Tao de Ching have influenced my life, as will my soulful twin forever. While the Tao dates back 2500 years, the philosophy of living is relevant today. It’s not a religion; it’s a philosophy to live our true, peaceful nature in the rhythm of nature. And so, within the 18 chapters of The Lesson of the Leaf, there are 81 subchapters. Once you read through the story, you can pop in from time to time for quick reads of inspiration. And I hope you will. Thank you, kind readers.
I invite you to read a post about Bill’s Stones and more about the Origin of The Lesson of the Leaf.
