joy is not made to be a crumb

“Joy is not made to be a crumb,” writes Mary Oliver.  And yet, there is joy to be found in the smallest of things. 

There is so much to love and admire about Fall: the leaves, obviously, the bright and shiny gourds, and the light which appears whiter and clearer than in Summer.  But, the small should not be ignored. 

Like, the acorn, for example:  Such a humble round kernel of hope.

Winnie the Pooh’s Piglet ate nothing but “haycorns.”  He was small, and easily afraid.  It wasn’t the leaves that were leaving which scared him, but rather, the new ones come to replace the old.  Pooh’s Piglet ate acorns: small buds of promise for large, sturdy trees.   He was a tiny creature living on potential.

There is virtue in small creatures. 

Lao-Tzu wrote,

“…Inside there are things. Hidden! Obscure!  Inside there are essences.

These essences are very real;

Inside them is proof. “

Proof, like the acorn, of hope and greatness. 

Do not ever despair of being small or of relishing tiny tasks, like planting bulbs or picking apples. 

Do you not dream of a world of possibility every time you plant a bulb in fall and dream of color six months hence?  Do you not admire that unstoppable will for transformation?

May we recommend a blog, tastespotting, with the best looking recipes for acorn squash?  Oh, my, oh my, good.