Apples

 

As I was out on my foothills walk one recent morning, I passed an apple tree on my path, and was reminded about a story I wrote about it 20 years ago. The essay is part of a larger collection of stories called “Lessons from the Labyrinth” that I compiled when I was leading monthly labyrinth walks at a local church for many years. For each e-newsletter I sent that announced the upcoming monthly walk, I wrote an essay about the labyrinth (an ancient walking path that calms the monkey mind and gives access to the intuitive, creative self) or other spiritual topics. I compiled all these essays written over a couple of years into the “Lessons from the Labyrinth”  collection with the intention of publishing it. 

That didn’t happen (yet), but my mind has been drawn back to these essays, and I’d like to share some of them with you.They still have relevance and a fresh way of looking at how our lives unfold, even 20 years after they were written. So, welcome to the slightly updated essay called, “Apples.”

On my foothills walk, I pass an apple tree growing in a neighbor’s yard, with branches that overhang a fence into the open space, and a few apples dangling within reach.

 In July, I had my eye on a couple of apples I could easily grab - on my side of the fence, of course! They were big and gold-green and looked delicious. I told myself early in the week I would pick them on Friday. But my route changed and I didn't pass the tree for the rest of the week. Then I went on a two-week trip.

 When I returned, I walked past the tree. The apples were still there, but they were kissed with RED!!! They are RED apples! If I had picked them while they were that lovely golden green, they would have been sour and unripe. So I waited further, letting their blush deepen until the time was right for me to enjoy a fresh, crisp treat.

The apples held a lesson: so much of life is waiting, and then taking decisive action. It seems that there is a window of opportunity during which we can – and should -- act in a given situation. Too soon, and the effort isn't as full as it could be. Too late and the situation is overripe, even rotten, and the desired object or outcome may be spoiled or lost. There is wisdom in the timing of waiting and acting. 

When I walked past the tree later that week,  those two cherished apples were gone! Someone or something else had gotten them in the meantime. I felt a swift pang of disappointment. But not to worry -- there was ONE more apple within reach – a little greener than the others – but I wasted no time in grabbing it before it, too, disappeared. My decisive action was to not let another treasure elude me. And today, I enjoyed that apple as part of my lunch, savoring the sweetness of nourishing food that grew out of the soil I walk on, and the air I breathe, and the sun that shines on me every day.

Is there an unripe situation in your life you are examining and contemplating, patiently waiting for the right time to act? Or are you feeling like the window of opportunity is about to pass you by? I invite you to ponder the concept of timing and action, setting the stage for discerning what is the next right step.