A Falling Leaf

We live at such a fast pace in our modern lives that we often miss small, seemingly insignificant events in our lives. In September 13, 2002, I experienced such an event that changed my life.  

I was standing alone by the Vietnam War Memorial Wall late that evening. Not another soul was there. It was absolutely quiet.

As I stood in the darkness, a soft light was projecting on the Wall. It was so quiet that I could almost hear the voices of these long dead men and women. On the Wall I could read names of a couple men I knew well. I wondered why I did not end up on that Wall. I was also contemplating my life.  

As I was standing there, a leaf slowly fell in front of me and landed at my feet. I reached down to pick it up.

It was not an unusual leaf, just an ordinary leaf out of the many I had seen before. But as I carefully examined it I it occurred to me. ‘This is no ordinary leaf”. This leaf represents another fallen soldier.  

When will this madness of war end? Will it not end before all the leaves have fallen off that tree and all the trees have died?