The Giving Tree and the 5 Magic Plums

 

I closed the door and locked it.

I took off on my morning jog and entered the running deep thoughts phase.

Some people sit behind a desk from 9 to 5, five days a week, collect a paycheck, go to Happy Hour on Fridays, wash their cars on Saturdays and mow the lawn on Sunday mornings for a lifetime.
Other people work four unstable jobs, travel from country to country and call home a knapsack with a loaf of bread and a bottle of still water.
The drama comes when the person behind the desk has the soul of the wanderer.
The drama comes when the 9 to 5 lifestyle contributes to the inner dying process of a soul that no longer dreams.

While on my road, I heard a voice calling me. I turned around and a man on a ladder was waving to me to approach. I went up to the fence and he handed me some freshly picked plums from his tree. He smiled.
I smiled.
I proceeded to eat the five most delicious plums of my life.
I got somewhat choked up.
I didn't even know the man, and he proudly shared his plums.

I grew up with the terror of eating any fruit straight from the tree.
Don't eat those berries, you could DIE!!!
I grew up with fruit-from-tree-fear.
Living in Tuscany has changed that, I now eat plums from trees.
And as the sweet juice leaves my fingers sticky, I breathe and smile.

He gave me five plums.
And I ate them.
Afterwards, the next 15 hours went something like this...

I  received an email notifying me that my abstract had been accepted for a Congress in September.
Another beyond incredible telephone call gave me the confirmation of something huge,  that I will blog about when it happens

Then, this happened...

Once upon a time on this blog, I told the story of a friend I met on facebook. Let's say about three years ago. He lives in New York and has a private jet. He fueled up the jet, called for his woman and flew her to Maine for a fresh lobster lunch. They were back in New York for dinner.

I received a group message from this man in the evening. The group message went out to 28 people, including myself.

This man wrote:

Everyone is guessing' why I'm doing this ok........let 's face realty......each and everyone of us has gone through a lot this past year....some with major issues while others with less. including ME.........whatever it is .......and I know each and everyone of your past hardships ..........and we've honestly always stuck with each other........we've been friends for years I say..........and all wanting to get together meet......enjoy etc.....so I thought what better way than to take an opportunity with a Gala and a cruise...........Luckily I have the opportunity to offer this ..... and I want to share it with everyone........I care for ....we are friends...we are family........we must enjoy the benefits of being a family........ laughter.....joy.......love...........MY THANK YOU GIFT...

He is flying everyone, from different parts of the world, to New York City, and then he's taking us on a 7 day cruise to the Bahamas on Carnival Cruiseline.

Reading that message, I went through a series of emotions, one of them being similar to fruit-from-tree-fear.

Then, I thought of a 9 to 5 job behind a desk and reminded myself that I have the soul of an adventurer.

I believe.

I don't know if I will go, it depends on my job, my kids...many things.

But for the past couple of days, I have been drifting in and out of la-la-land.

I went running again today, with a smile on my face and dreamy thoughts of lying on the beach in the Bahamas in my head.

That voice called to me again as I was running my road. 

This time he handed me an enormous bag of plums.

He smiled.

I smiled.

And I took those plums home to share with my kids.

They love plums-fresh-from-the-tree.