"I will not let go," the Oak snapped. "I will stay green. I will stay whole."
While many trees shed their leaves, certain species are world-renowned for their dramatic seasonal transitions: trees that shed their leaves
But the young Oak was heavy. His dead, brown leaves acted like thousands of tiny sails catching the gale. The wind grabbed at them, pulling and tugging with violent force. The weight of the leaves, combined with the drag of the air, threatened to rip his young branches from the trunk. "I will not let go," the Oak snapped
The young Oak stood shivering, his arms empty. He looked up at the Elder Maple. The Maple was coated in a thin layer of frost, his bare branches etched against the blue sky like black ink. His dead, brown leaves acted like thousands of
Suddenly, a memory of the Maple’s voice cut through the roar of the storm. “To shed is not to lose. To shed is to survive for the future.”