It was just a quick stop at the market — a soft breeze, the scent of fresh dill, new potatoes, and warm rye bread in the air. I wasn’t looking for anything in particular, just letting summer guide me. That’s when I saw it: a little box of strawberries, tucked between bunches of wildflowers and cartons of peas.
And right at the top, like a crown jewel, was the roundest, juiciest, most cheerful-looking strawberry I’d ever seen.
Bright and full, it looked like it had soaked up every drop of sunshine the season had to offer. It wasn’t shaped like the others. It was puffier. Happier. Like it had taken a deep breath and never quite let it go.
I didn’t even check the rest of the box — I just smiled, picked it up, and bought the box.
A sweet reminder that it’s time to enjoy summer.
