Then I peeled the peach.
One of only 7 on our young tree this year. I hefted its weight in my hand, felt its fuzzy covering and pressed it firmly to my nose. I breathed deep checking for ripeness.
Some primal part of my brain registered the signals and “EAT ME NOW” was the message that appeared in dripping orange letters in my mind’s eye.
I peeled it, and it didn’t resist me, sliced it and it filled my hand with juice. Then came the moment of truth for the peach. . .
I said the blessing. Baruch ata Adonai, Elohenu Melech ha Olam boray pri ha etz. (Blessed are you Lord our God, King of the Universe who creates the fruit of the tree.) I took a bite and had a revelation.
This particular peach on this particular day was elevated to a higher realm , because it will sustain me while I (hopefully) go about the work of God in the world.
It was a perfectly ripe peach from our own garden. One of the blessings of the world to come is to sit under your own fig tree and eat its fruit. So today, I had a little foretaste of that promise. Only I am hoping God will make an exception in my case and let me sit under my own peach tree instead.