I was on a walk the other day and looked up at the trees. The leaves beginning to change reminded me of when I used to teach elementary students. Several years ago, I did a lesson around this time of year where we talked about the process of photosynthesis and did an experiment where we extracted all of the colors inside a leaf to see what colors they would display as fall arrived. In explaining the process of how leaves change colors, it all starts with one thing: less sunlight, or more darkness.
Thinking of the beauty of fall and what processes occur to make it happen, I was also reminded of much of the work I have done with my clients and myself. In our culture, we’ve equated getting better with feeling happy and joyful.
While those may be emotions you get to experience more of throughout your healing, I haven’t done work myself or worked with a client where part of getting better didn’t involve stepping into our darkness and sitting with what we find there.
We have to address emotions that have been avoided, narratives that have gone unnoticed and views of ourselves and others that are unknowingly being carried.
This work is difficult, but it’s by embracing this darkness that we also get to step into a beauty we didn’t know was possible. Addressing our darkness allows us to step into an attunement, a knowing, and a wholesome understanding of ourselves that goes soul-deep. It brings a vibrancy to our lives that may only be compared to the electrifying reds, yellows, and oranges of fall trees.
So, just like nature shows us every year in the fall, embracing darkness can have stunningly beautiful effects.
As the leaves start to change around you, may you take time to soak in their beauty and remind yourself of what can come when we embrace our darkness.
Happy fall.
Warmly,
Kylie Larson, MA, LPC
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