Mullings on Mulberries

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Yesterday Grace and I picked the abundant mulberries growing on the trees in the back lot adjoining ours.

There were plenty to eat, plenty to share and plenty for the birds who are singing so joyfully this season.

These humble berries appear in June/July without our irrigation or pruning. They remind me of the abundance of the universe.

June/July brings other abundance as well.

I have met new people as I go on summer walks or go to summer events.

People have dropped by our house with cookies, sweet peas and offers of friendship.

The longer nights are opportunities for deeper conversation over glasses of wine or other refreshments.

Our house community has hosted overnight guests who are coming and going to various places. They share their culture with us.

In the face of such abundance, how can I be greedy?  How can I close my door or my mind to the other?

How can I not be grateful for the gift of every day and every person?

I am especially grateful for living in a community where such abundance is visible in all the seasons of the year.

Joan Duerst OP
Monona, WI

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