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Rooted in the richness of earth wild strawberry plants grow all over our SLO coast forest floors. The plants are easy to recognize. Look for a low growing clump of three-parted leaves with small white five-petaled flowers that grow on hairy stalks. Long runners take off in every direction from a mother plant. While still attached to these runners new wild strawberry plants root themselves, often creating thick beds of ground cover. The flowers produce the fruit which will ripen to red if given the right conditions. Many of the strawberries are tucked under leaves hidden from view. When we see one, we have to be quick. Humans are not the only species who like the flavor of these much tinier strawberries than the ones grown commercially. Birds and rodents seem to have a nose for the pleasant fragrance of the berry. Maybe one of the thrills about finding one is not just about the pleasurable aspect but the rarity of the score. Despite the infrequency of actually eating a wild strawberry it is a healthful endeavor. The walk in the woods along with even the tiniest bit of sweetness is always beneficial to health, as is kindness. The energy field that is kindness produces amazingly healthful effects. Did you know that not only the donor of kindness but the recipient as well as the witness of an act of kindness all have their serotonin levels rise and their immune system strengthen? To be kind is to encourage an atmosphere that is beneficial to all who enter. Like a wholesome wild strawberry we can cultivate an environment that provides and promotes well-being just by offering a little compassion. No money needs to be spent. There are many ways to perform kindness. Even a simple smile or a nod in acknowledgement of another may be just the right nourishment at just the right time.
As with the consumption of a wild strawberry even the tiniest hint of pure and natural sweetness enlivens the spirit. While we journey toward the light kind intentions and good will are supportive lifelines for finding our way through the thickets of life. This is the essence of spiritual growth, advancement of humanity, and the evolution of consciousness. Ah, the sweet taste of kindness. Photos by Gayle Oksen |
