PEACHES And PEOPLE
Peaches and People
September is
an exciting time of year in Brigham City, Utah. “Peach Days” is a big celebration and this year marked the 121st!
(1904-2025) “ It all started in 1855 when William Wrighton took Brigham Young’s
advise and purchased 100 peach pits for $1.00- and the decision really paid
off! Fruit trees grew especially well in Brigham City’s warm days and cool
evenings. Within just 3 years Wrighton had sucessfully grown and harvested
peaches- and his success encouraged others.” (Mikee Ferran for Utah Humanities
2024- the Beehive Archive.)
The 1st
official Peach Days was held in 1904 and has grown to today’s 40,000 plus
visitors event. Peach orchards are now a common sight when traveling on Highway
89 near Brigham City.
Every morning, (6 days per week) weather permitting – Annette, her 90 year old mother Naomi, and I walk past large orchards of peaches while getting our morning exercise. I have a lot of time to ponder about peaches and here’s why I think there’s a good correlation between peaches and people.
People, like peach trees, need to be nourished, pruned and cared for, even protected, to reach their full potential. If peaches stay connected to the tree they grow and develop into large, juicy, suculent fruit. So people, who stay connected to the living tree (Jesus Christ) can also develop to theirs full potential. Just as the orchard manager cares for the peach trees to assure a bounteous harvest, so it is with people,“He that is faithful, the same shall be kept and blessed with much fruit “ (D&C 52:34.) Also, as with the peach tree, we too must undergo a proper pruning at times. Even fruit that has fallen to the ground can be gathered and fulfill a good purpose. As with people, (repentance is redeeming!)
From the orchard manager, we received permission to glean his
orchard (pick up peaches that have fallen to the ground.) Most mornings for
about 4 weeks of harvest, we pick up a sack or two of ripe peaches from off the
ground. We take them home where we wash and trim them and make what we call “Senior
Gleaner Jam.” Senior, (that’s what we are), Gleaner ( what we do, glean or
gather the good peaches off the ground.) Jam ( that delicious nectar of the
Gods!) Some of you have been the recipient of a jar of our “Senior Gleaner Jam.”
We love turning what would otherwise lie and rot in the orchard, into something
amazing! ( we took a dozen jars of Senior Gleaner Jam to the orchard manager
and his crew and they were impressed with what we had turned their “Fallen
fruit” into!)
That’s what
Christ will do with all of us, If we let Him!
The next time you feel you have fallen from the source of spiritual nourishment, you may even feel like you are in a Jam! ; Just realize that if you cooperate with our Savior- He will make something amazing out of your life that you never thought possible! Then, as you share your sweetness with others, you help sweeten their lives too!
Are people like peaches? It’s something to ponder! We hope this little message has made you start to feel a little Peachy, maybe even Peachy Keen! cause that’s a good thing!
Much
Love- The Grandparent Chronicles
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