Once upon a time, there lived an old man in the south part of the county. He was an industrious sort most of his life, but now old age was coming by to visit him more often than not; his aches and pains limited his mobility.
Since an old man has to know his limitations, according to Dirty Harry, he would have to make some adjustments to his life.
He lived in an old distinguished house and had a beautiful lawn, except more weeds were creeping up here and there, and the sweat of his brow suggested he needed some help.
The aches and pains of his back had him singing off key like some old Troubadour when he cut those weeds.
Now was the time for a lawn helper!
A young teenage boy who lived down the road a piece was asked if he wanted a job trimming the weeds. The boy accepted the offer, arrived and began cutting the weeds to the old man’s satisfaction.
And as the young lad learned his trade, the old man seemed most pleased and paid him handsomely.
Since his yard now looked so good, the old man could use his spare time making ‘strawberry pies’ and delivering them to his friends and those who were sick and housebound.
The old man’s pies were simply a delight in these parts and beyond compare. He enjoyed making all sorts of pies, but one of his favorites was a ‘strawberry pie’.
And this year was even more special because there was even a ‘Strawberry Moon’ to shine in the sky from June 25-28. This moon will be seen best in the southeastern sky on June 29th.
June’s full moon is called the Strawberry Moon because it historically marked the peak of the wild strawberry harvesting season.
During the current season, this pie-making gentleman had made some 32 strawberry pies and distributed them among his friends.
His favorite special lady from down the road assisted him in slicing the strawberries and preparing the pies.
To say there were smiles throughout the hills and woods of South County and beyond would be an understatement.
But there is one very strange footnote to this story.
When young boys are growing up, they seem to have a tendency to watch the birds and bees of nature. Stories of Cupid flying around in February begins to have more meaning too.
The young lad was a fine lawn keeper and a very good worker.
And he seemed wise beyond his years but a little confused at times.
For instance, the old man asked this young fellow if he would like a piece of his strawberry pie, but the lad declined even though his family was gifted a pie previously.
The boy’s initial passing on the pie seemed a bit odd to the old man.
But soon the lad’s decision would change abruptly!
Just a day later, the lad sent the old man a text on his iPhone saying, “Whenever you can, I would take you up on some pie.”
The pie maker was flattered and made him a whole strawberry pie and delivered it to the boy’s mom for the lad.
Unbeknownst to the old pie maker the lad had other plans for that pie!
It seems that Cupid had hit the young man square in his backside, and a young maiden had caught his eye from the North Kingdom.
And her family had invited the lad to dinner for an assessment evaluation of the lad’s qualities.
What to do, pondered the boy?
He did the sensible thing; he asked his grandmother for a flower bouquet for the young maiden; and that bunch of flowers was most beautiful.
And then he snatched that strawberry pie from the family fridge as a gift to the young maiden’s father. It was a peace offering and dessert for dinner!
The father was most pleased with the flower bouquet for his daughter, and that tasty strawberry pie for his palate and stomach.
And perhaps the biblical Proverb 11:25 may sum this tale up nicely:
This Proverb suggests ‘that a generous person will prosper, and those who refresh and bless others will themselves be refreshed.
And so, it was.
