#10 Norway Maple

Our daughter said, this morning,
“Oh, look at how fast the yellow leaves are falling from the Norway Maple!”
You said, “If we all blew on them, down they’d go.”

The tale depression tells you is that it’s your fault you have it
It doesn’t matter how many rational, lovable friends refute this
You still feel that you are—you must be—doing something wrong
If only you had followed all the rules
Rule breakers always get punished.
Or maybe if you’d broken the rules
Rule-followers always get depressed.

The other tale is that it’s not real
An exaggeration, overreaction, distortion
You big whiner! You don’t have it as bad as_____
So shut up and smile!

You do know this:
The best words come when you are walking and penless
Face to the sun always helps
The leaves only travel in one direction,
But so far, the new ones still return every year.