My poor spouse always loses me in the summer during our walks.  We’ll be going along a little path and then I disappear – lost to the woods, rambling around, trying to reach something that looks delicious.  Recently, that was due to mulberries.  There was a tall tree growing near a stream, and I couldn’t help myself – I had to go see how this year’s crop tasted.

I grew up with a mulberry tree in our backyard.  I loved the way the berries squished between my toes.  I loved the way the bird poo left purple streaks over everything.  I liked the way the school buses would brush along the branches and berry juice would splatter down the windows.  It was like the world was covered in a purple haze.

These days I forage to find my mulberries.  I’ve scouted the neighborhood over the years and have a couple of key spots where I now go to look.  It’s one of my summer joy traditions – a Joy Seed Practice, making time for small moments of pleasure that brings me into the present.  I try to slow down and savor them each time – their colors, flavors, textures – a mindfulness practice of nostalgia and joy.

What are the flavors of your summer?  Whether you stop by a local farmer’s market or savor them from your own garden, I hope this summer brings many occasions to pause and delight in the many joys of the summer’s bounty.