5-8: We’ve been experiencing the longest, strangest winter-into-spring season ever in our lifetime. Here in the northeast, wild tulips, forsythia, and daffodils are in full, vibrant bloom. The full moon of May, called the Flower Moon, waxed yesterday and now begins to wane. And yet tonight’s weather forecast predicts several inches of snow again in our area. As with so much going on, it seems surreal.
So yesterday I dipped both my hands into a big bowl of fresh cherries as I washed them and savored their rich crimson color and sweet fragrance. Then I tasted one with my whole mouth. I have vivid memories of the cherry trees in our backyard and of the smell of the blossoms and the earrings we pretended to make with the ripe fruit. To this day, when I bite into a cherry, I can remember how I felt as a child: open, curious, filled with wonder and optimism about life.
Yes, the sweetness of cherries helps to remind us of playful enthusiasm when things seem gray. Cherries exude a charming brightness. They’re friendly and affectionate. If a fruit has a personality, cherries’ is cheerfulness. Sometimes we have to push through negativity, anger, despondency and remind ourselves to be cheerful no matter what. To be open to love, no matter how badly we’ve been hurt. To continue to dance, no matter how many times we fall. To get back on the horse. To try it again. To vibrate in harmony with our heart, no matter how often we feel ourselves going out of tune.
By being mindful of cheerfulness, we become cheerful. The constant work of getting back into balance with ourselves, tuning into our hearts, and really hearing what it is we need to know and what we’re feeling, is what makes life so interesting. Cherries help us to remember the inherent joy that exists within.