June 7th, 2011 The Strawberries of June
It’s early June now in the gardens. While most of the other plants are in the early growing stages, the strawberries are beginning to ripen. I’ve been pulling weeds from the strawberry patch and watching, thinking, waiting.
A few days ago, I moved away a leaf and there, underneath, was a large, brilliant red, fully ripened strawberry. The first strawberry of the season; it was magnificent and unexpected. I looked at it for a moment, feeling such a quiet, reverent joy that I hesitated to pluck it from the plant.
When the moment was suddenly right, I pulled it from the vine and carried it inside the house, cradled in my dirty gardening gloves, to show my husband. Then I took it to the sink , rinsed it with clear, fresh water, and ate it.
There was a brief moment when I could taste sun, rain, shades of red, and sweet juicy fruit. In that fleeting instant, I was connected with the energy of growing, changing, nurturing, and something deeper, ancient, – the feeling of connected spirit stretching without boundaries of time or dimension.
That feeling faded almost as soon as it began and I’m glad that at that moment I was present enough to experience it. One or two seconds of wonder.
So that was the first strawberry of June.
With joy,
Patti
P.S. The photo above was taken in my garden this morning. Looks like it will be a good year for strawberries. 🙂
