Forest Gump’s mama once said that “Life is like a box of chocolates”. Last week we visited my brother-in-law Brent’s home. As my 2 year-old granddaughter, Luna, sat on my husband’s lap picking blueberries, Brent explained to her that “Life is a lot like a blueberry bush”.
Luna spent a great deal of time, carefully inspecting each berry, selecting just one, then picking it, putting it into her mouth and truly savoring the flavor before moving on to the next one. It was a slow process, but with each individual selection, she made a conscious choice of which berry to eat, rather than just grabbing what was in front of her. Some were super sweet and she smiled, while some were a bit sour and she made funny faces as she tasted them. But regardless of her success, one after the next, she kept tasting more berries.
Brent explained that, to him, life itself is like that blueberry bush, filled with the different days of our lives. Some of them look good but may be sour, some aren’t quite ripe yet, while others are juicy, sweet and ripe with opportunity. But regardless of the taste, the only way to know what you’re going to get, is to taste the berries and enjoy the experience.
Okay, maybe the lesson was a bit too much for a 2 year-old, but this conversation was a reminder that every bush is filled with a selection of all kinds of berries, just as our life is filled with all kinds of days. When we get a sour one, it helps to remember that the next berry or the next day, could be our sweetest one yet. Instead of getting frustrated when we get a sour day, it helps to focus on the promise of a fresh, juicy berry, just as Luna kept picking until she found the sweetest berries on the bush.
So if by chance your day today tastes like a sour blueberry, my wish for you is that tomorrow as you enjoy the fruits of the blueberry bush called life, you experience your sweetest day ever!
Hi Gail, I have a similar story about my niece Jessica. It was a lesson on negotiation and asking for what you need or want. Children teach us so much about life.
Carol, I’d love to know more! Please feel free to share your story!
Oh, Gail…What a sweet little analogy. And, now that my home houses two families, I do see that some days are sweeter than others, and some even make my tummy hurt! Some days, I think “Whew. This is a test, I guess” or, “tough assignment” and yes, some days, even though what appear to be ‘bad things’ happen–underneath lies a cushion of love, tenderness and peace that perhaps I could never have known if this ‘two family’ thing hadn’t happened to me. I am glad you suggested checking out the ‘blog’ on today’s ‘Inspire’ as I haven’t done it for some time, and I needed to read this…and, to share this…Love, Char