Savoring Earth's Rhythms

In a year when so many of our rhythms have been disrupted, the earth continues to nurture and comfort us by calmly progressing through the seasons. Just as always, tulips and daffodils and fruit trees bloomed in April and bees were seemingly everywhere collecting pollen. Like clockwork, in June we picked and pitted cherries and began efforts to fend off Japanese beetles and squash bugs. As is typical, in early July we harvested our first crop of sweet corn and cabbage.

The food we grow and share fuels not just our bodies but our spirits during these days of separation from loved ones. The community is downright giddy on days when sisters gather to shuck corn because we know it will appear at dinner, and with butter dripping from our chins, we remember how Sr. Philomene Glotzbach could polish off four to five ears in one meal. The day seems suddenly brighter when fresh-picked black raspberries appear at breakfast. I made a berry pie for my living group and as I ate a piece, I was transported back to my childhood and thought, “This tastes like home.” Many people start pulling out family recipes for zucchini chocolate cake and rhubarb custard pie so the bounty doesn’t go to waste.

Earth teaches us that God will continue to provide for our needs during turbulent times; to be present and generous is part of God’s nature and cannot be disrupted. The best way to show our gratitude is to take good care of the land, air, and water God has entrusted to us and build loving connections with each other as we enjoy and celebrate the fruits of the earth.