Because of their position, leaves have a functional relationship that is essential to the trees existence but provides a limited sphere of direct physical contact with other leaves, branches, the trunk, and especially the root system.
But one day all of this changes...when the leaves fall.
It is at this time that they may have the opportunity to touch more of the tree than they ever have, including the roots. It may be said that the reconstituting process of the leaves falling onto the soil, decomposing, and then their nutrients being absorbed by the root system is when the leaves touch the roots.
We have the potential to see ourselves in this way, as the leaves meeting the roots - as essential elements of the nuances, rhythms and relationships of all phenomenon, all life - while living with partial experience and understanding of our influence. But to see ourselves in this manner requires a shift in our thinking, feeling and actions to perceive beyond our experiential assumptions.
Conceiving of a lifetime in such terms means to reimagine and engage with our respective timeline in much the same way the leaves grow and fall - it points towards "A Life Of Lives," as opposed to being only at an singularized extremity, as "In A Life."
Go deeper into thoughts on nature and change over time.