A purple one

July 2020 - “He’s getting so tall,” I thought as I watched him diligently pick blueberries. As if the summer sun has fueled his growth. One for his basket, two for his mouth. The not-quite-ready purples were his favorite. “They make me close my eyes,” he said between the sour bites. Afterward, he led us to the back of the patch to sit in the shade of a giant oak tree. He wanted to get closer to the corn field. He asked if the corn was ready to be picked and wanted to know what animals lived amongst the stalks. As we sat, we ate handfuls of berries and I told him a story about his favorite stuffed bunnies escaping the car and causing mischief in the blueberry patch. On the way home, as he dozed off in the cool air conditioning, he said, “Mama, I had fun.” I find myself wishing he’d stay this age forever a lot lately, but trying to remember that with each new phase comes new adventures.