What Happens When the Leaves on the Trees Rustle?

There was one particular spot I loved to visit as a child. A place where no one else went—only me. To get there, I had to leave the cottage and head left, up a steep hill. The forest was full of spruce trees, making it a perfect place to collect mushrooms. Their brown caps peeked out at me, and every day, on my wandering route, I would find new mushroom treasures. My mother would pickle them right away, and we had those delicious sour mushroom treats. 🙂

That spot in Pavlovka was magical. It was above a ravine where a golden eagle nested every year, and I would go there to watch him take off from the rock below me. I never saw his nest, but I knew it was there, and he knew about me too. Every time I came, I would sit on the bare rock, and after a while, he would take off, cry out, circle around to inspect the intruder, and when he realized it was me, he would calmly return to his nest.

I would sit on that rock, surrounded only by moss and solid stone. At the edge of the ravine, birch trees grew, rustling in the wind, swaying rhythmically, and gently soothing me.

And then, one day, as I sat on the rock, it happened. For a moment, time stopped. The wind ceased to blow, the trees stopped swaying, and their leaves stopped rustling. Everything came to a halt.

Silence. It is that silence that has stayed with me for nearly forty years. It still gives me chills and sends a wave of understanding through me. Hooooooo.

That feeling, that state, where no birds flew, no grass moved, and the trees stood completely still, was breathtaking. I just sat there, mouth slightly open, not daring to move, afraid I might break something—disrupt something sacred. I don't remember how long it lasted. Maybe a minute, maybe five.

But I do know that it was a moment that etched itself into my memory, one I constantly recall. Something changed in that instant. Something was born. Maybe a special forest sprite or a tiny woodland spirit came into existence at that very moment.

And when, after what felt like an eternity, the trees started rustling their leaves again, it was as if a great tension in the air had been released, and everything returned to normal. Only I knew that something was different. Did anyone else feel it too? But the rustling leaves gave me a sense of safety—a feeling of familiarity and certainty. That's why I believe that when you hear leaves rustling in that calming way, you should look up into their crowns. It's most visible in birch trees. Their leaves turn and flutter like golden petals, as if they are speaking to you. It’s an incredibly soothing feeling.

Look into their crowns, and maybe you’ll understand what they are trying to tell you. They want to be with you. They are saying:

"Peace. Everything is all right. You have nothing to fear."

So cherish that feeling when the trees have their leaves on their branches. And protect the trees around you—because they are protecting you too. In today’s fast-paced world, they offer and provide the peace you long for.

And that is why trees and their leaves rustle.