Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Huckleberry Hunt


Photo from Wikipedia (top left are red huckleberries)
I was asked if I wanted to pick some huckleberries in the forest and trails nearby, after returning home from work. I thought "Sure, why not?" Besides wanting to check out the area, I wasn't sure if I had ever seen huckleberries before, yet alone if I had ever heard of them before.

I had heard of Huckleberry Finn of course, though that was a character from Mark Twain's, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. That was all I knew about huckleberry!

So three females, myself included, plus a golden lab set out for a jaunt to the nearby forest on the hunt for huckleberries.

I was curious of course if there might be bears - it is bear season after all - as I live close to where they roam, though I hadn't seen one yet since I moved to my new home (going on two years). I wasn't afraid though as I was walking with company including a canine as a companion, hopefully acting as a guard dog if necessary.

We had a most intriguing conversation that meandered as much as the paths we took: from dog training to work, to relationships, to hair, to religion and spirituality, to vision and vision therapy, to food, drifting in and out our speaking distractedly, like clouds in the sky.

Towards the end of our brief journey, one of the young women remarked how wonderful it would be if we were all understood. It would make life so much simpler, easier. The climax of her comment lingers in the back of my mind like an unripe huckleberry hanging, hidden underneath its bushy leaves. Hmmm, may need to ask her when I see her again...it sounded like an epiphany the way she stated it.

However, I sensed that more importantly she felt accepted and thus understood. She was able to speak freely and be herself. Isn't that a great gift, maybe one of the greatest you can give someone?

How do you feel accepted and understood? How do you accept and understand others? Is there a relationship?

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