Strawberries

Since I was a kid my parents have had a great circle of friends. They go to dinner, go on week-long camping trips, have house gatherings, my mom and "the girls" go for breakfast, lunch, or shopping (or all three!), and my dad and "the guys" go on trips to Atlantic City or Las Vegas.

The kids were often part of the activities. I am the youngest of the kids, so I think for a fair number of things I was the only one that had to be brought along. One of these outings I remember is a trip to pick strawberries in the spring. It was my mom, Mrs. LeBrun, and (I think) a friend of mine. As I worked at picking strawberries (let's agree to use the word "work" in a fairly loose sense here), I looked up to see Mrs. LeBrun eating a strawberry. "Ew!" I said. "That strawberry has ant pee on it!" She looked up at me, and without a moment of hesitation said, "Ant pee is what gives my cheeks their rosy glow." I think of her almost every time I eat a strawberry off the vine.

This morning we received the devastating news that Mrs. LeBrun, (Bunny, but she will always be Mrs. LeBrun to me) passed away while vacationing with her husband and some of the circle of friends in the Dominican Republic. Mr. LeBrun is working with the Embassy to bring her home to her son, her daughter, and their families.  Please keep her family and friends in your prayers.