Your Voice Is a Whole Sentence
The humble blueberry holds more power than you're using. A story about speaking your truth, my mom's grocery-store wisdom, and the quiet strength of saying “No.”
This popular little berry holds power you probably aren't using. Blueberries have been used for healing in villages since the beginning of human civilization. With a strong resonance to speech, they are a go-to for anyone struggling to be heard — or to speak truth to power.
On a more ethereal level, a handful can help calm a child (or an adult) the morning after a nightmare, or at the very start of a tantrum. Packed with antioxidants and all sorts of good-for-you purple juice, this superfood supports softening negative thought patterns and behaviors.
Peach Powerful Pro-Tip: Eating blueberries in sets of seven can support spiritual practices — astral projection, dream-weaving, meditation, and more.
Story time
Growing up, we had raspberry and strawberry bushes in our backyard, blooming endlessly under the California sun. But when my sister and I wanted our purple oatmeal, my mother had to squeeze a grocery run into her already-insane IBM schedule to meet our blueberry quota. On my favorite days, she would take me with her. I loved those trips.
I had no idea, back then, what powerful little tools for self-healing those berries were. These days I often think back on those grocery adventures with my mom. She taught me how to spot the best berries — because, and I quote, she was "not about to pay for any bullshit produce."
"Watch out for the moldy ones — they spread to the others." "If they’re even the tiniest bit wrinkly, they won’t last, and we are not wasting a dime in here."
I would spend those joyful trips inspecting every container for wrinkles and mold. When I found the best of the bunch, I would bring it back to her with a big, toothy grin. I loved those little pockets of purple juice.
A whole sentence
Since then, I have intentionally brought the blueberry into every dish I could — cakes, sauces, ice creams, salads. I've sprinkled that blueberry good-good everywhere.
You deserve to be heard and respected for your voice — whether you express it through writing, song, public speaking, podcasting, or anything else. A simple, intentional dish can help bridge intentional words into intentional action throughout your day. It can even help dissolve the all-powerful fear of saying "No."
"No" is a whole sentence, after all.
The dish behind this story: make my Purple Oatmeal.