Strawberries

Not all that's easy is good, and not all that is good is "easy."

Yesterday, we piled two babies and three adults into one car, and headed out to Hill Country to pick strawberries. My friend Katie was wedged in the back with both babies, while my friend Jessica drove, and I rode up front.

It was a breezy 65 degrees when we arrived at the berry farm, and we got there early enough to find plenty of berries. We took turns passing those sweet babies between the three of us, so whoever needed hands free could accomplish what needed to be done.

After we picked our berries, we drove to a local cafe for lunch. We all ordered the Thursday special (roasted chicken) and three pieces of pie to share, before heading back to Austin.

Even if the day wasn't logistically "easy" with potential for missed naps and impromptu diaper changes, and slight unplanned detours, our day was so joyful. I'm looking forward to being a mama someday hopefully soon. In the meanwhile, it's so wonderful to see such free motherhood with messes and dirt on strawberries and juggling babies, and shared pieces of pie, and more laugher than you can imagine.

It feels like an honor to witness this kind of motherhood. Particularly, in those moments when both friends said, "Oh well." It feels freeing to me, in my not-yet-a-mother stage, to be reminded again that really good is far better than perfect, because it's real, after all. These precious babies show us that each and every day. And even if getting out is more complicated, by golly, it's still worth the effort for such a joyful day in the sun.

P.S.— do you see that meringue??? So, so good.

P.P.S.— I had leftover Finnish pannu kakku for breakfast with jam from the farm. Yum.