I just came from picking peaches at a neighbor’s house. They purchased two side by side lots when they built their house. On one lot is the house and yard. On the second lot are about 40 peach trees. These trees produce some of the most beautiful and tasty peaches I have ever seen or eaten and it is a real privilege to be invited to go there to pick peaches.
This is the end of the harvest and many of the trees have been picked clean. We picked four trees clean on this round of harvest. There are only a couple of trees left that still have fruit waiting to be harvested. And there are peaches fallen to the ground everywhere. Many of these were still good and edible and we harvested these as well. Today we picked around ten 5-gallon bucket equivalent of peaches.
Besides filling our own containers, we also picked a wagon full, and an ice chest full, of peaches for the owner. We did this simply because the peaches must be picked. They are falling from the trees. So. . . many. . . peaches.
I empathize with the owner of this orchard in wanting the peaches picked and wanting them to be enjoyed. It is hard to explain and must be experienced. We only have one plum tree. But that plum tree bore so much fruit this year. I was begging people to come and take as much as they wanted. This was delicious fruit and it was ripening faster than we could consume it. I wanted to share our bounty with everyone. It hurt my heart that any of this fruit would be lost.
So it is with the owner of this peach orchard as well. I don’t know why they have 40 peach trees. And they obviously pay to have others come and take care of the trees. They are perfectly pruned. They are fertilized. They are given plenty of water. They are treated with insecticides. In short, they are well-cared for trees.
Yet, the owner is a simple household.
Father, mother and a couple of kids.
Even in famine, they could not possible eat so much fruit by themselves in the time that the peaches need harvesting. And it would be a huge job to put up this many peaches year after year.
So why grow and care for so many trees?
I don’t have the answer. I will be honest in telling you that I don’t understand. Putting that aside, these trees are cared for and maintained. When one dies, they plant another.
They love their orchard.
That is something that I do understand.
How often do we do things out of love that to other people don’t make sense? Love is a powerful emotion and it is possible to love things and the doing of things as much as people.
I have a daughter that loves animals. Whether they are stuffed animals or real animals, it doesn’t matter. Each animal in her care receives a very special name – no two are alike. And with that name comes an attachment to, and love for, the animal. She once paid $400 for veterinarian care for a chicken that was attacked by raccoons. The chicken ultimately died. After it died, we buried it with all the tenderness and care had it been her child. For indeed it was.
So, I too understand the love of a tree, of a tool, of a thing. I don’t value things more than people, don’t misunderstand me. But, I do find love and joy in some things, fruit trees being one of those things.
I rejoice when they bear fruit. I am saddened when they lose their blossoms too early because of a frost. When they do bear, I want to share with everyone.
“Come everybody! Rejoice with me in the harvest of this most excellent fruit!”
And I am also saddened when fruit drops to the ground and is lost.
The love of stuff can be a problem. It can lead to greed and selfishness. It can blind us to loving people as we should. However, a true love of things motivates us to care more particularly for those things. The care of things brings beauty and pride in that which we care for. And that is good for everybody.
So, don’t be afraid to love something enough to care for it. Love something enough to rejoice when it flourishes and be sad when it doesn’t. Keep everything in perspective and don’t allow selfishness, self-centeredness, greed and hostility enter in to your soul. Be kind to all people and to all things. Let the good flow from you and bring energy to all around you.