As I was driving down the road the other day, somewhat mindlessly following an eighteen wheeler, I noticed it nearly clipped a low hanging limb stretched across the lane. When it did, a leaf above came detached, fell, and got caught in the slipstream behind the trailer. The aerodynamics around the trailer kept the leaf there, dancing in the turbulent air. I watched it floating, bouncing, undulating, up and down, left and right, spinning and twisting effortlessly. It was temporarily trapped in the vacuum, and I imagined it was having fun. It spent its whole life stationary on the tree, and now with its first taste of freedom, it was dancing on its own, unashamed of how it looked, traveling over 60 MPH down the road, caught in the slipstream. For a mile or so I focused on that leaf, imagining it was having fun, finally letting go of the thing that literally grounded it for its entire life. Then, without notice, it lifted up and away. I quickly lost track of it. It was then I saw something in my rear view mirror. My new friend the leaf began dancing behind my truck, riding a new wave of slipstream. It quickly disappeared, and I saw a brief glimpse of it gently fall to the road behind me before I lost sight of it. 

Riding down the road, I wondered if there was a lesson in watching this leaf. It seems I could learn the lesson to let go. Stop trying to control life, stuck in one place, and enjoy the turbulence. See where it carries you, and fully experience the ride, dancing, spinning, twisting and turning until it’s over. Be a leaf in the slipstream. Enjoy the ride.