This reflection was written in the middle of summer, just in case someone wonders — but it’s not about the timing, it’s about the message… ⭒˚.⋆ ✴︎˚ ⋆˙⟡

I’m just sitting at our kitchen table. I picked a handful of fresh fennel blossoms this morning. Tomorrow I’ll fly to Germany to surprise my parents. I only take a backpack with me, so I have to be thoughtful about what I pack.

I bought tomatoes, tender onions, a wonderful smelling melon and 8 lemons, even though it’s not the season and they’re rare (but my parents love them!) to bring with me, all grown here on the island, bought from a humble, hard-working local couple.

On my way back to the car, I discovered a huge field of wild fennel – and I was so lucky to find a lot of wild blackberries just around the corner!

Now, while Madredeus’ “Coisas pequenas” is sounding in the background and I’m enjoying a small glass of self-made Limoncello, I’m taking one piece of fennel blossoms at a time and cutting off the precious pollen, one by one, not leaving any tiny piece of dust behind.

It’s time-consuming.

It’s certainly unproductive – even though this term should be redefined. Definitely!

I’ve once read that these fennel pollens are called “Angel Dust”. Back in the days when fennel found its way to our island, the monks discovered the plant for themselves and began to cultivate it with care. They were especially enchanted by the unmistakable aroma of fennel pollen and used to gather in the evenings in their monastery gardens to pick it. The “Angel Dust” is still harvested by hand to this day. The men go out to the fields to collect the plants, while the women sit together on warm evenings in front of their houses, chatting, sharing news, and gently picking the precious pollen.

I’m one of these women today.

What I’m doing won’t show up on a productivity chart. But the slowness of the process, its aromatic reverie and that gold-dust on my fingers bring me back to ancient times when there were things more important than productivity.

Real nourishment doesn’t come from efficiency. We all should have learned that meanwhile. It’s impossible, because our home planet Earth is not valued, but exploted. The labour of those working the Earth and taking in the harvest is not held in esteem. We don’t seem to realize any longer how much it takes to put naturally grown fruits and vegetables on the table. All the work… All the patience… All the water, all the sunlight, and the moon adding its blessings to the whole. We mostly just consume cheap foods, and then we wonder why we feel empty and need to fill the gap otherwisely.

Do you remember the fruits and vegetables of your childhood, maybe in your grandparents’ or aunt & uncle’s garden? Were you able to value their worth back then – considering how most of our food is grown today?

Have you encountered wild plants or herbs that you recognized during your walks in nature lately?

Are you, maybe, as privileged as to have your very own veggie garden these days?

What does real nourishment mean to you?

Grab your journal, give this a try…

Write. Paint. Remember. Dream.

Create a collage or a garland of nourishment if you feel like. Let your imagination fly! Connect to what is often forgotten nowadays, and see what this does with you.