I got up early in the morning with a feeling of lacking energy, time and joy. Despite this feeling, I still went to the farm nearby for harvesting some of my vegetables. It always takes an effort to go there and harvest everything on my own. In the past I was so used to simply buying vegetables in shops or with farmers on the local marketplaces … so it’s still quite new for me to tap into my responsibilties around this chapter of my life. Somethimes I don’t even know how to get the vegetables out off the ground smoothly, without damaging them!
This time, when I was searching for food, I saw a very abundant field full of good looking Brussel sprouts. I felt excitment in my body, as I took the first gift of nature in my hands 😊. You cannot predict in advance how many sprouts each plant has. It’s always a surprise. There was a mixture off fresh ones and older ones on the same plant. Just as in life where we have different ages, and all are connected by the same soil under our feet.
What I was remembering in the field is that Brussel sprouts flourish so well in Belgium’s ground, and are often perceived as a ‘delicacy’ in other countries because of their typical, unique flavor. The plants grow here from late summer till the end of March: what nurturing foods we have here in Belgium over such a long period of time, covering our vegetable supply year after year. Mabybe our crownjewels are actually our local plants, who knows.
It really touched my heart because we – the people who live in Belgium – usually don’t like our own country so much, for many reasons. I can feel that my whole being is more grounded in the Belgian soil now, more connected to the land. My body felt lighter and more energetic after harvesting the sprouts. How incredible, such a lovely surprising experience on the Belgian fields.
By An Pintelon
3 thoughts on “The joy of harvesting – How Brussel sprouts made my day”
Hey An! I just read your story. My heart felt so… much… tears welled up.
I’m also from Belgium.
I’m writing in English, because I don’t know whether you speak Flemish or Wallon 😄.
My heart really felt the sentence ‘the people who live in Belgium usually don’t like their country so much’. Because that is TRUE.
And that is so sad! I myself, am starting to really LOVE my country over the last months (yep, quite recently).
A lot of people have so much to nag about, they want to move to another country, because it’s better there but and I myself, now, think and feel, ‘we are so blessed to live here!’. No, we have no mount Kailash here, one of the 7 world wonders or I don’t know what, but the beautiful modesty of our Nature, of the people here, of… so many other things… IS something to be proud of.
We should feel more pride of being a Belgian, don’t you think?
The image that Jacqueline (oracle girl) once posted, about INDIGENE, really really touched me. I placed it in my garden, I placed it in my house. Because I am really ‘from here’.
There’s only one place in the world I want to live and it’s here…
Thank you for sharing your story!!!!
Sarah
What a beautiful comment and reflection! We will pass this onto An 🙂
Dear Sarah,
I’am so happy with your reaction to my story.
Yes, we are here in Belgium the gardiens of the future. That feeling of togetherness here in our local communities is so important to take care off.
I speek Flemish , but I can also speek good French and basic German. It’s a joy to speek more than one language and maybe that’s also a strenght of the Belgian people that we should be proud of.
I enjoy you enthousiasm , so glad that to meet somebody who is also happy to live here.
Maybe we can meet one day in person in a nice cafe or a place in nature.
So nice to meet you by this way 🙂