I love the weekly farmers market. Just about every weekend I can be found browsing the fresh produce, flowers, plants, baked goods and the other creations. I love the colors of the veggies the shapes of the fruit and smells of the whole place- life energy in their natural form. For instance, you get to see what garlic looks like in its full form- long green tops, fresh dirty carrots with extra legs- every week I buy them. I find perfection in the creativity of nature- never staying in the perfect parameters of our supermarket produce. Some of my favorites buys are carrots, dandelion greens, cucumbers, peppers, onions, avocados, and apples with seeds. I eat an apple a day; I believe it keeps the doctor away.
Today when I pursued my favorite fruit supplier (all produce is without that sheen you see the stores) only to find NO APPLES! There were oranges, lemons, and walnuts in the shell. Hey, no apples this week? Saul replied "no, they are out of season and won't be back until fall!" NOOOOOOO! I stood there staring where my delicious juicy mouthwatering apples usually were displayed now in its place were overflowing deep red cherries and sun-kissed yellow orange apricots. Nature was nudging me to lean into the next season. Of course, it's going to get warmer here in southern California and then the melons, and cukes will be flowing with their internal cooling energy that hydrates as we consume and digest. I took nature for granted with my expectation of what I wanted to eat and that it would be there. Instead the seasonal wisdom was testing me, after all I don't want to eat a cold salad with cukes, tomatoes, jicama etc. in any winter month and nor do veggies have any taste and possibly little nutrition.
I bought the apricots and cherries. And they are delicious. The apricots are juicy and have a sweetness that sneaks in with every bite much different than the canned. The cherries are at play with me. I picked one of the dark ones because I assumed it was sweeter. It shared a slight sour taste and then I selected a lighter colored one and that was really sweet- my eyes and thinking deceived me and nature laughed with each bite. This is the full presence I needed today. I have to be honest I am not that focused on my experience when eating my daily routine of the apple. Food for thought as I consider how I will apply this in areas of my life.
My take away with seasonal eating nudged me to lean into a fresh experience, new awareness, and most of all a change. I apply this with my coaching clients- a willingness to see something differently. The awareness of this quiet gift propels me forward to broaden everyday in anyway. As, I replay in my mind how my expectations of how things need to be, need to look, should taste etc. I can laugh and be grateful now however at the time I will admit I was a bit rattled.
Practice being willing, be uncomfortable in small ways each day, and watch what unfolds.
Be well, hydrate, stretch, and breathe in deeply exhale a smile.