Taking a Bite from the Apple

I had my first honeycrisp apple today.

I found it at the farmers' market, just down the table from the peaches and nectarines. I don't know what possessed me to buy it, with the profusion of summer fruits that are still around. And my passion for peaches.  

It was a little sign that the seasons are changing.

One thing is passing away and another is on the horizon. And I've given you two cliches for the price of one. But there is wisdom in those cliches. Hard won from generations of people watching the seasons come and go.

 

I'm feeling reflective this evening. Tomorrow is the last day of this writing project and there are so many thoughts going through my mind, so many threads I'd like to explore. 

But they all return to the apple I picked up at the farmers' market today. 

One apple. 

And I've eaten already it. 

It was good. Not as good as a ripe peach, of course, or a handful of Rainier cherries. There's something amazing about what we can eat fresh and local in the summer here. It's like a burst of wonder. 

For me, fall feels cozy and comfortable. Winter? Well, if I'm talking about what I like about winter it has to be the freshness of the air. And spring for me is the feeling of sheer renewal. 

Summer is my burst of wonder. The flowers, the blue skies, puffy white clouds, soft breezes, and the deep greens of a fertile, producing, abundant Earth. Long days that stretch into cool evenings. A season that feels endless. Deep restoration.

This time of daily writing has been deeply restorative and I am grateful for it. As I think about what's next, I understand that writing will continue to be primary. There is much to think about after spending three months doing something regularly and with intention, and I imagine I'll be reflecting on this experience to unearth my discoveries. 

For now, I smile as I think about taking a bite out of the apple and understanding that I know something now that I didn't know before.

The Summer of Self-Love is a daily writing practice created to harness three months for thriving. The goal at the end is to host a dinner party. Sounds like an odd Hero's Journey, doesn't it. Most of them usually are.