The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.

            – ralph waldo emerson

As we tilt into the fall season, it often seems the clock is ticking faster. There is the daily clock, reminding us of emails un-sent, and there is the monthly clock, reminding us of projects un-finished, and there is the annual clock, reminding us of opportunities un-seized. How can we possibly do all the things that seem to need doing?

The great and gratifying secret is, most of the things only seem to need doing. And the ones that are really important are never finished anyway – labors of ongoing love and commitment, both personal and professional. For these most devoted endeavors, we will never fully see the results of our engagement. It is all a giant leap of faith, knowing that the effort is worthy, even when the results lie way off in the cloudy distance.

Dear ones, may we trust in the acorns we plant,

hoping that unseen forests might follow.