Elderflower, dandelions, brambles (Blackberry) apples and elderberries to name a few.
Granted we tend to use it them for wine or crumbles but never the less there are lots of things you can just pass by....so many think its easier to go to the supermarket.
The other day I picked some brambles after a dog walk. We are gathering as much as we can and then we will make wine or maybe once apples are ready have a nice crumble.
As I was picking some were over ripe and just squirted juice and stained my hands. At another bush a strand of thorns came whipping down and stuck to my arm in 3 places ripping my skin.I gathered enough in the tub I had with me and left, aware that many were not ripe yet. In my mind there is a wee marker saying check back in a week if you have time and there will be plenty more.
Yesterday I spoke to someone that used to be a church goer but no longer attends. They still believe but something happened along the way that they were not sure of and we they stopped for a bit.... Then things got in the way and life goes on.
My conversation was intentional. I had not caught up with this person for a while and I knew things had not been easy. It was only a 20min informal chat but it was deep in the sense we spoke about family, looking after ageing parents and death.
The conversation was genuine. Not forced in any way. There was even hilarity despite some of the topics we discussed. The person in question was brought up in the church. There was no "well you know you need to come back".... it did not seem appropriate...
But if I was to use a counselling term, there was genuine regard for each other.
Fruit ripens in its own time. Some things ripen faster than others. It does not always work to pick at things before they are ready to be picked.
Life is a journey and often along the way the thorns come a long and embed into your skin. It can take a while to get untangled, the barbs can leave a mark..
The connection I made was intentional. My connection however was also unconditional. No preach included. Some may think this kind of interaction is fruitless or pointless. It is not. It's an opportunity. The alternative would have been to simply pass by and let the fruit fall to the wayside or leave it for the birds.
