by Jill Pearson
If you’ve ever spent time with Pat Hallstrom in early spring, you know well her anticipation of bluebell season. Year after year, she gets up real close to me with a big grin and sparkling eyes and says, “You know, Jill, it’s almost bluebell time!” Since 1985, she has annually trekked through the carpet of bluebells along the Zumbro River in Mantorville, and many times, she has invited a friend or two along to share the beauty. Just look at the parade of people who have joined her over the years.
I finally got my chance to tag along after hearing about it for two decades! On a perfect May afternoon, Sarah Satterblom and I climbed into Pat’s car and began our pilgrimage. Many topics of conversation were covered as we drove, parked, wound our way to the river, stepped over downed trees, and paused to soak in this unique and short-lived kind of beauty. We celebrated God’s meticulous design. We talked about the Children’s Heart Project, about homeschooling (Sarah) and parenting young adult children (me) and enjoying grandchildren (Pat).
Pat could name almost every wildflower, teaching us how to spot the elusive jack-in-the-pulpit and other beauties. Sarah’s interest in foraging and making her own herbal teas (a special interest post for another time) had her identifying plants with her plant app and letting us know what was and was not edible, and which plants had medicinal properties. I looked at her suspiciously when she said I could eat a gross-looking giant shelf mushroom growing on a rotting log, but lo and behold, it was a pheasant back mushroom just waiting to be cooked up with some butter and garlic! Alas, I passed, deciding to stick with the grocery store varieties.
What left the biggest impressions on me as we wound our way along the lush footpath?
…the way hearts can connect in sacred ways in an outdoor cathedral;
…the way three heads bent over a buttercup can be a solid building block for friendship;
…the way an endlessly creative, communal God gives us the gift of bluebells each spring so that we might enjoy them together.