The Leaf Collection

Yesterday, we were just walking out of the organic store we visit every week, when Raghav stopped abruptly and said "Hey amma! look! there are so many leaves...and a branch!", and he immediately started picking them up. He kept talking to himself about how each one was - describing the colour, or what it looked like, or something special he saw in it (like a hole in one, or one that looked like twins!), or the texture and size. They were all for his leaf and branch collection!

He walked proudly with both his hands full of leaves and twigs! As we got into the car, one fell from his hands and he hurried me to pick it up for him :"Quick amma, quick! Before a car comes and crushes it!" I picked it up but asked myself why he was so worried about a little leaf that he had dropped on the road. Then we got busy with other things and this thought went away to some corner of my mind.

Later that night, while we were chatting before going to bed, I remembered that thought and question and asked Raghav quietly :"Why were you so worried about that leaf that you dropped on the road today?" And he said quietly to me: "Amma, you know.... I wanted to pick up all those leaves from there and the road and bring them home! I wish I could collect all the leaves that fall from the trees - not the ones on the trees - only the ones that fall.....because then I can keep them safe and they won't get crushed by cars and people on the road...." My defintition of mindfulness changed from that moment.