​Lessons learned picking blackberries

Returning to the Pacific Northwest, I was delighted to be able to pick wild blackberries again.
 
As a gardener, I know that the Himalayan varieties we see everywhere are invasive, but quite honestly this is one case where I don’t care. They have been here long enough that many species now rely on them as a food source (me included!).
 
Picking wild blackberries for the first time in over 20 years, I was reminded of some important life lessons.
 

1. Only take what is given freely. If a blackberry does not want to come away from the plant, leave it be. It’s not ready. It will be sour and far less flavorful than it will be in a few days or a week. Be patient.
2. Always leave low-growing fruit for children. Not everyone can do what I do (and vice versa). We all share this planet and should behave kindly and thoughtfully towards one another. Don’t be greedy.
3. Share your bounty. Make some preserves, use what you pick to create gifts for family, friends, and neighbors.
4. There will be thorns and spiders. That’s life. Deal with it. They were here long before we were. They have their place, and too many people complain about inconveniences that are really quite trivial. And if you get snagged by a thorn, don’t pull away. That just makes it worse. Instead, lean into it. It’ll come away and you’ll be fine.
5. Sometimes the biggest berries aren’t the best. Very often, it’s that tiny berry hidden under a leaf that has the best flavor and is the sweetest.

 
Picking blackberries (or anything else, for that matter) brings us closer to our food. We’ve gotten too far away from it in recent generations. Corporate-created addictions and profit margins are making us unhealthy in many ways.
 
Break that chain. Go pick blackberries, plant a tomato, grow some herbs. We’ll all be better off.