Another round of urban foraging for Amber. I put her in the leather slip, then dropped that into my back bag. We went on our usual bike route but parked next to the bushes the school district uses for landscaping the terrace between the sidewalk and their parking lot. They're aronia berries. Sweet but with an....uncommon...astringent feeling and taste. An aquired taste if you will. Interesting story about them though. It's a bit of a tale so pull up a chair.
A few years ago I had a wart in the end of my middle finger, left hand. Doesn't sound like much, but it got to be pretty painful. There's alot of nerve endings there. Conventional methods didn't work. It came back. Got bigger. Hurt more. Bled often. I was even getting self conscious of it because I couldn't not think about it or not pay attention to it. It bothered me day and night.
One time I prayed on it. I prefer to talk to the father in a more casual manner so it went something like this. "I don't like to ask for things for myself father, but this wart is bothering the hell out of me. I would really rather you heal my child, but if you could just please make this go away in the mean time, I feel I could be a better servant. I try to serve to the best of my ability, but this is bumming me out. Please and thanks. Love you father".
Within a few weeks not only was the wart completely gone, but so also were two plantars warts that had been on the bottoms of my feet for many years.
I pondered on this of course and knew that if you ask, you do indeed receive if you want not for yourself. The aronia berries had just come into season and we had been picking them and eating them while out on walks. We had just learned of their edibility from my in-laws.
The next summer my eldest son was experiencing several warts on his hands. Conventional methods are hard to apply and keep in place with wet dirty sticky hands and we were just about to give up on the holistic approach as they too are difficult to use on a regimented basis on a 5 year old. He didn't want to go to a doctor to have them removed. The aronias were ripe; I said if you eat a handful of these every day for a week they'll go away and you won't have to go to the doctor. He despised the taste but choked them down. Sure enough, within ten days or so, the warts were gone or noticeably diminished.
Now my littlest has three warts on his hand on the affected side of his body. He's got enough difficulties as it is with that hand, I don't need any more problems there. He's now on the berry protocol. He's a tougher patient though. I'll have to hide his in berry smoothies.
Knowing that the berries are the medicine doesn't diminish the impact the experience had on me. The channel matters not, the methods are inconsequential; the father is the source of all healing. I'm actually not a Christian, believe it or not. I have been a student of many religions from many parts of the world and periods of time. I believe the differences between what I believe and what you believe are not a concern. I find an ally in any person who feels they were sent here to serve and to love their fellow man. The religion they follow doesn't matter to me. In short, I believe there is but one creator and it is in all things. It is to this that I pray. If you made it this far, thanks for reading
Here's the knife pictures now
Applied a bit of a berry patina to commemorate the occasion
. The treats are Reese's Pieces cookie bars with a peanut butter caramel glaze. They come free with each order. These pictured were of course not given to any customer, they were breakfast 
to AAPK, Donovan, AKA, Ivoryman Jr (perfect handle, BTW 
Looking forward to many more as well as some photos of your time with Amber. As you know, your father was really into taking pictures of his knives and posting them on the forum and had quite a reputation on the Knife Photography thread 
