cherry pickup day

Story

Today I picked up some sour cherries from some friends that have a farm near Spence’s Bridge. That whole area has been devastated by flood and fire. They have mostly given up on being a producing farm for the time being but today they had cherries. Picked one by one under the even then hot morning sun.

These cherries signify so much. Hope. Another year (they always show up around my birthday). The high tart notes of summer. And a gift…from the earth…from my friends.

We gave the farm way too much permanence in our minds.

I imagine these cherries to be the last. Because they could very well be. If so, they will have been a glorious and gratefully acknowledged gift.