The Harmony of Leaves

March arrives, bringing to the earth and sky the shapes of leaves.

All flowers dedicate their essence to spring, even weeds sprout tiny blossoms that contribute to the festive picture of Tet. But when March arrives, when the gentle rain falls on the hot South, buds and leaves begin to burst forth with joy. Crimson buds crack from the dry, curved trunks of the crape myrtle standing silently in the garden corner, trembling like a child's hand touching the sun for the first time. Long, lush brown shoots of the mahogany tree sprout like tender tongues welcoming the morning dew. Small leaves of the Terminalia catappa tree stretch out their soft branches, covering the older, darker leaves with a light green, almost greenish hue. The branches of the yellow apricot blossoms, now laden with flowers, have their young shoots turning pale green, no longer pink as when they bloomed. Each tree changes color, each leaf a different hue, and somewhere, the young shoots celebrate, singing a joyful song to welcome the season.

Since I was little, I've loved watching leaves when they're still curled up in their buds, hidden within the stem, and then watching them unfold. Leaves grow quickly and change color every day: yellowish-green, lime green, dark green, then evergreen. This process is difficult to perceive with the naked eye, but if you love leaves, you can feel it. Every morning before school, I'd observe the leaf buds once, then chuckle to myself: "Hello, little leaf! Why are you so tiny?" When I visited them at noon, I'd see them emerging from the branches and turning a deep green. In the evening, I'd go back to look and imagine them saying, "How can we grow if you keep watching us?"

And so, the sprout becomes a shoot, the shoot becomes a leaf, and the leaf sprouts into a tree. After reaching maturity, the leaf doesn't grow larger but thickens over time, like a person weathered by the elements. The leaf opens its eyes wide, offering life to all living things, then silently withdraws when the tree buds and flowers. Sometimes the leaf serves as a backdrop for beautiful flowers, sometimes it transforms into sharp thorns to help the tree overcome drought. This journey is silent and simple, as it has always been. Even when it falls and turns into earth, the leaf becomes nutrients that nourish the tree, making it greener.

Leaves have been with me for a long time, I don't know when exactly, but as I grew up, everyone liked flowers, while I liked leaves. Leaves are a priceless treasure of nature: they photosynthesize to nourish the plant, and filter the atmosphere to sustain life. And strangely enough, no two leaves are alike, just like people, each form carrying its own rhythm of life. Leaves are long like swords, leaves spread out like umbrellas, leaves are oval like eggs, leaves are needle-shaped, and some even transform into sharp thorns. Leaves don't live for themselves, but for the plant, for the harmony of nature.

Looking out from a high vantage point, I often catch sight of the tender, budding leaves of March. The vibrant green of the mature leaves, the lush green of the young leaves of the Terminalia catappa, the reddish-pink of the crape myrtle… all create a symphony of new beginnings. Leaves are like confidants, silently bearing burdens, without complaint or fuss. Leaves are also like youth, soft, vulnerable, yet persistently striving towards the light. And like the belief in rebirth, leaves know when to fall, having fulfilled their duty, adding fragrance and color to life.

On quiet afternoons, watching the sunlight fall on the leaves, I see life moving very slowly. So slowly that only those with enough patience can notice. The leaves welcome the last rays of the day, just as people cherish every moment, whether in glory or hardship.

As March arrives, the young leaves continue to sprout as if they never tire. Having passed the age of blossoming youth, I suddenly understand that life isn't about blooming brilliantly, but about creating greenery. Love isn't just about receiving happiness, but about giving each other seeds of hope. Like the leaves. Like me. Forever green.

Red Swan

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/dong-nai-cuoi-tuan/202603/ban-hoa-am-cua-la-46f0518/