I am beginning to wonder how much beauty I’ve missed. Partly because I am realizing in my always over-achieving-expecting way, I thought all beauty would come in huge spectacular packages however for this season, God is revealing this whole new brand. It’s huge but it’s not loud. Its missable to the distracted mind.

Rhythms are bringing us this beauty. When the day is long and all questions remain from start to finish, we hop on our bikes for an evening family bike ride. The air is perfect, crisp and warm, and my legs are eager to feel strong. We ride past all these houses and see through their back windows a view full of water and mountains. Jealously, I wonder what each of them does to get that view. We continue on into Magnuson Park where we ride along the water and see many people picnicking, kiting, riding, walking, throwing Frisbee, etc. and then the big old mountain comes in clear view. It’s still snow-capped.

As we turn up the path to head through the park we hit the blackberry bushes. Pushing our kickstands down we hop off and brave the thorns to test a few of the seasons berries. Hannah quickly exudes that the one she just ate was “super good.”

The darker more bubbly ones are the best and we hunt and collect and soon we have more than our snacking mouths need and we are dumping out the water in our water bottle so we can contain as many berries as possible.

The sun is literally making these bushes glow and we are surprised and confused a bit by the abundance. It almost seems wasteful and our productive selves want to pick and sell or share and not let a single one drop. At the same time, we are so encouraged by this prickly bushes that their bounty is available to all, it’s a nature gift.

It feels too generous. And the three of us cannot stop from enjoying and testing and sharing with one another. That at the end of what felt like unprosperous day comes this beauty and bounty. For us. If we see it.

We hop on our bikes with purple lip stains and head home for our last night in the “summer house”. We are energized and grateful right when we needed it.