That's Fit

I took my boys strawberry picking on Friday. We go every year. Each time, the experience gets better. When my guys were toddlers, it was a pretty daunting excursion -- think wobbly steps, sunscreen, smashed berries, dirty clothing, whining, crying, and more. Still, it was worth the headache. The sight of little fingers manipulating the fruit of the Earth was beautiful. It still is -- the fingers are just bigger and more skilled at their work. The steps are solid and purposeful. Few berries are sacrificed. And whining and crying are non-existent. The sunscreen and dirty clothing are still issues we contend with but are never a deal breaker.

Seven-year-old Joey and four-year-old Danny were in heaven walking the strawberry fields the other day. Armed with their very own buckets, they plucked perfect red berries, one by one, from the ground. "Look at this one," they'd exclaim, comparing their finds with one another. They were amazed by every strawberry they dropped in their buckets and kept picking until they could hold no more. They yielded way too many berries but I just couldn't make them stop. Happy boys, marveling at nature while collecting nutritious food, are just too hard to come by. I let them go overboard. The loved it.

Twenty-four dollars worth of strawberries sit in our kitchen. We've already made a pretty good dent in our supply, and we've delivered a few berry bags to some neighbors. Blueberries will be our next conquest. I can't wait.

Have you ever gone picking? If not and you'd like too -- I highly recommend it -- just visit www.pickyourown.org and you're sure to find some farms in your area.