Blueberries

It’s slice of life Tuesday and I’m sharing my post with the teachers over at Two Writing Teachers. Join us!

Last week I took one last summer get away and visited family in Asheville, North Carolina. On one of our days together we decided to hike the Art Loeb Trail off the Blue Ridge Parkway. As we started our trek my son raved about the wild blueberries they found trail-side a few weeks prior. We were all hoping there would still be some of that delectable fruit for us to enjoy on this summer day.

Sure enough on the loop back down when we were all tired and slightly cranky, we stumbled upon bush upon bush loaded with just-ripe berries. We walked and picked and picked and walked. Handfuls at a time were enjoyed fresh off the bush. The flavors melded in my mouth bringing a smile to my face. Some times I’d eat a bunch at a time, other times I’d savor one tiny berry alone.

As we were walking and nibbling, I realized that when I was eating a handful of blueberries the flavors all blended together and it took away from the sweet flavor of the blueberries.  However when I slowed down to enjoy each berry one at a time I could savor the unique flavor of every morsel. From that point on I relished each berry one at a time, making my trip down that beautiful trail one I’ll remember for quite some time.

As I dive into another school year I would like to take the lessons learned on the trail and  recall my blueberry experience.  Much like I discovered to appreciate the unique flavor of each morsel, my hope for this year will be to slow down, listen, and appreciate the intricacies of each individual, and the unique talent each one brings to the table.  I believe that investing in such a practice will allow me to enjoy the trials and trails that come my way this school year!