Pickin' Blackberries

Yesterday was Sunday and we had one of our wonderful “Sunday at Mama’s” kind of lunch. These days are always pretty laid back and they are followed with us lounging around the family room being goofy, remembering when, etc.  Yesterday was not much different until my mom sprang up and spritely said, “Everyone get a bowl. We’re going to pick blackberries!”

Now, let me tell you that our memories of blackberry pickin’ did not make us jump up and grab the biggest bowl that we could dig out of the kitchen. In fact I grabbed a clean, empty yogurt cup and shouted, “Here’s mine!” Apparently that wasn't going to do, so I grabbed only a slightly larger one. Who doesn't love standing in the heat, dodging stinging insects and briers, walking through fire ant hills, only to pick a few berries whose stain will not come out of your fingers? Sign me up!

Off we go. Lucky for us many of the blackberry bushes were actually along Mom’s driveway and had already been picked pretty clean. All of us strolled along talking, laughing, being silly and sneaking blackberries out of each other’s bowls. Liam would occasionally be Liam and touch someone’s leg with a stick of bamboo so they would scream bloody murder, thinking something was crawling on them. I knew to stand by Mom, who didn't have a bowl and would put her berries in mine J. My niece, Caroline, who is nearly 3 had a great time as her tall cousins, Liam and Mary, would lift her to pick the best berries on top and even enjoyed picking some green apples! We also found a birds nest in a tree to show her. “I sure hope a bird doesn't fly out of there!” someone said and I thought how quickly this tender day could turn into one that required psychotherapy, but it didn't. My niece, Audrey and I lingered a bit and talked about nothing but silliness.

 

Proud of her pick!

 I started realizing this had nothing to do with picking berries and everything to do with getting out of the house. No cell phones (ok, later my sister Beth, a natural photographer, caved and went to get one to take a few pictures), no tv, no anything! Just family, nature, conversation, and a lot of laughter.

I can’t tell you how many pictures my heart took yesterday. When we left I felt a wash of peace over me that I hadn't felt in a long time. Family. Nature. Togetherness.

My little sister Barb is a natural when it comes to cooking and baking so I gave her my blackberries because I knew that she would very well make a cobbler (and we would probably eat our blackberries in the car).  Also, I made fun of her for being short and I felt bad so I thought that was sort of reparation on my part, right?

 

Some of the delicious goodness we picked!

My kids have plenty of what they need and want but what I hope we all provide for them is so much more meaningful than material things, and I hope they see this. Our family, although not perfect, is entirely devoted. We don’t quit each other, ever. We laugh a lot. We've had to. BOY have we had to! We love a lot. We've cried. We offer support and help to each other and we’re silly sometimes. Ok, a lot.

Standing in the heat, dodging stinging things, pricking our fingers on briers for a few blackberries? It was so worth it. I think Mom, in her beautiful wisdom, already knew what we would get out of that stroll. I’m pretty sure that’s why she didn't even bother to bring a bowl.

Finger stained,

Becky

July 21, 2014