A Berry Different Perspective

It's that time again, dewberry season.

I used to think that staying home to whip up a homemade pie crust and wait for the call that they boys had found the motherlode and were headed home was the ultimate labor of love. 

For 25 years, that's what I thought. 

Until today.

Today, I decided to go along with John and Joshua,

to pick dewberries.

I had no idea that the actual picking might trump 
the pie-making process in the labor of love category!

I didn't put two and two together when John gently suggested that I find some old jeans to wear instead of the shorts I had on.

I didn't think much of it when he put on his rubber boots.

I didn't click when he put the walking sticks in the back of the van.

Empathy is funny that way;

you don't always know what to expect

until you walk in someone else's boots for a bit.

When we got to the field, it all started to make sense.

The stick, he told me, was to keep away critters ...

{Wait, what?}

but I also found it very useful to move the bramble out of my way so that I could get to those treasures without getting hurt because sometimes they hide deep inside the thorny vines that they call home and it's super tricky to get to them.

I couldn't help but think how this kind of parallels life.

It can be tough to stay the course and get to the treasure.

But it's usually worth it.

And sometimes we think we have it harder than other people do.

But comparison is the thief of joy, so we're wise

to celebrate what is and not worry about what isn't.

Better yet, if we really want to know first-hand what the other person's experience is like, go berry picking with them and see the other side.

After an hour and a half, 

the three of us came home with this ... 

so that we could enjoy this treat this afternoon.

So today I'm grateful 

to have a berry different perspective

that will make my tasty piece of pie even more delicious.