ROMANCING THE STRAWBERRY

First man and first woman created were Cherokee Indian. After happily living together for many years, they began to quarrel.

Nothing could make first woman happy again. After a bitter disagreement, harsh words were spoken, she got the last words in by stating, “and another thing, I’m leaving”!!

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She packed up her belongings and stormed out. After some time, first man , regretting his behavior, started out after her. His intention was to apologize and get her back.

Realizing she was too far ahead of him to catch up, he cried out to the Great Spirit.

“Please, slow her down Great Spirit, so I may catch her”, he implored!

Taking pity on the man, the Great Spirit, decided to help out. Walking along, first woman began to encounter different berry patches. Blackberries, huckleberries, and blueberries were all set before her. She was not tempted!

The Great Spirit seeing this, plucked strawberry plants from his on garden and set them on earth.

On she hastened along the path, until she stumbled across a field of red, luscious strawberries. Sitting down in the field, she feasted on as many as possible. These red, ripe, luscious fruit could not be resisted!

First woman was so happy after eating this “fruit from heaven”, she gathered a basketful.

After devouring this gift from the Great Spirit, her anger melted and she turned around. Traveling back along her route, she encountered first man. Overjoyed to see each other again they reunited, kissed, hugged and started for home.

Dipping her hand into the basket, she started feeding her love with strawberries and smearing them on his face. First man just grinned and thanked the Great Spirit! From then on, first man knew he had to keep her supplied with the red fruit, so he planted a huge field of strawberries.

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My mother being part Cherokee, told me this story many years ago. It’s an old Cherokee myth that tells how strawberries came to be on earth.

This is also why the Cherokee have fresh whole strawberries, jams and jellies and pictures of such in their homes. All reminders not to argue and to always speak loving words, not hurtful ones.

Now that spring is here, my thoughts have turned to strawberries and the old Cherokee story. How else do I explain my family’s special affinity to these beautiful red berries? They have always played a prominent role in our lives!

Actually, the day I was born, I had my first strawberries. I arrived with several strawberry birthmarks I have carried all my life!

“I craved strawberries during my whole pregnancy”, mom told me. “In fact, your dad would often find me sitting in the field eating berries”.

As far back as I can remember, my dad grew strawberries. He had over an acre of them. In the spring, when they ripened, we all had to be in the field everyday after school and on the weekend.

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You would think picking berries would be easy, but since they grow close to the ground it can be back breaking work.

My dad devised a way that would save backs and knees too. Cutting up cardboard boxes, he laid them between the dirt rows and had us sit on the ground, scooting along as we picked.

Once harvested, we put them in quart containers, arranged with the tips pointing upwards. Dad insisted on this for aesthetic purposes. He payed me and my siblings 10 cents a quart for the work we did. Big money for a kid in those days!

People came from all over town to purchase berries from us and the local grocery stores begged for them.

“The culls” as my parents referred to them, were set aside for processing by the family. We had to “coppa” them first. That’s an Italian term used by dad for “taking the tops off”. “Culls” were the ones saved for family usage.

Next came the washing and slicing. Some were used for making jams, jellies, pies, cakes and other delectable goodies. Others were frozen for later use.

Did I ever get sick of those berries? Absolutely not and they continue to be
my favorite! Mom had a great pie recipe that I still make!

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Dad grew strawberries for my mom for as long as he could. When age caught up with him and he couldn’t garden anymore, he bought berries for her.

At the end stage of her life, he still managed to shuffle into the nursing home with a bowl of strawberries!

Real love folks! Strawberry love! Those “heavenly” berries must have really been magical!

Folklore also tells us, if two people share a double berry, they are bound to fall in love.

Makes me wonder if mom and dad found a double berry!

A bit of trivia is that the strawberry is the only fruit with seeds on the outside instead of inside. Most people don’t know strawberries are members of the rose family.

Hope you liked this little strawberry love story. Feedback is welcome!

Stay tuned for more myths, legends, and folklore on different subjects.

Click here to read a previous post!

Remember,

Keep on the Sunnyside!

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