Summer on the Tongue

Wiki Commons - Wild Strawberry

With June finally here, it’s time to begin soaking in summer. Not just through sitting under the sun with your eyes closed, though that is a lovely feeling, but also to taste it. In Oneida, the word for June is also the word for wild strawberry, the first fruit to ripen and a reminder to give thanks to the Creator for all of his abundant gifts. For those of you who have bitten into a tiny, perfect wild strawberry, you know how special they are. 

Last month, we talked about astrological signs, about looking for patterns in the universe and finding new ways to see oneself and give ourselves grace. This month, we are diving into the ways we are connected to one another and the world around us. Summer is the perfect time to bask in the abundance of greenery, to taste summer fruits as they burst on your tongue and to join our neighbors as they are also out and enjoying the sunshine. 

When we think of liberation, it must always be in coalition. There are too many forces in this world that have not paused to truly taste a wild strawberry nor stopped to think about how their actions spread like oil across the water of all of our lives. We are all connected under the sun, the trees; we all need to pause to remember the taste of strawberries and be grateful for the gift of existence. We also, in that appreciation, must remember the ways we all depend on each other to build a beautiful future filled with wild strawberries.

June Reflection Prompts

Have you learned the names of the trees and flowers around you? Take a moment on your next walk to see how many of your plant and animal neighbors you know and how many you haven’t been introduced to yet.

The next time you have the opportunity to eat a strawberry, use this moment as a meditation. Give all of your present attention to this moment and appreciate the miracle of this summer fruit.