Hanging On
Lessons from the Marcescence of Beech
Contrary to popular belief, there are things to be learned from Twitter. Once you block all the ranting, you find people who share interesting facts, and still others, like me, who find endless fascination in their tidbits and musings.
It helps if you’re just curious, by nature.
So I was surfing Twitter one day, and I came across someone’s word of the day, marcescent, the property of some trees, notably beech and oak, to hold onto their dead leaves. True to form, I was intrigued that specific types of trees had that tendency. Living among the Blue Ridge of North Carolina, with beech and oak everywhere, I realized I’d been among marcescence all my life, without knowing.
I couldn’t help wondering, though, why we are to apt to hang onto things? Why are we so attached to attachment?
Could it be:
- fear of loss, like when a loved one is in hospice, or has passed; we deeply miss the warm memories, the sounds of laughter, the many things so central to our happiness
- risk avoidance, hoarding things past their usefulness, ‘just in case …’; there may be a generational bias on this one, if you were raised in the Great Depression, holding onto anything of value was a way of life
- laziness, when the work to retire something is greater than the cost of keeping it around
- inertia, simply keeping something without even realizing it
- survival instincts, holding onto anything we can
In almost every case, and with the wisdom of Marie Kondo in mind, we can honor special memories, those things that provided meaning and value in our lives. But it doesn’t mean we need to hang onto them forever. Sometimes it’s best to move on.
But what of the marcescent beech and oaks? What is their reason?
Some say it’s to retain as much nourishment as possible, for as long as possible. Others conjecture that when dead leaves ultimately fall in the spring to make way for new growth, a fresh layer of mulch is provided.
Since we don’t really know, we’re left with our metaphors and our anthropomorphic musings.
But there’s also this:
- A wintertime splash of warm browns in a sea of gray can be absolutely beautiful. Yesterday’s leaves offer a legacy, perhaps, like the memories wrapped inextricably with our prized possessions.
The deeper the connection, the harder it is to let go.
Ultimately, I’m a bit torn. The act of hanging on isn’t all or nothing. Memories and legacies are a part of who we are. So much in life is a balancing act.
With all respect to Marie Kondo, I’ll just put it out there: sometimes hanging-on is good for the soul.
Thanks for stopping in, and thanks to Maria Garcia for some great input.
Let’s connect !! You’ll find me on Twitter, Instagram, and of course here on Medium — I love this place. And check out the new pub, Just Curious — the insights are starting to flow.
