Ode to the radish

 

 

Especially at this time of Thanksgiving, I have the great pleasure of being part of a small team who work on Monday mornings to receive food from that most generous of organizations, Second Helpings. We clean, organize and bag food for the needy people of Bluffton and its surroundings. When that truck arrives, it’s like Christmas….we never know what we’ll get, how much, what condition it will be in but we’re ready for anything.

 

The Ladies are pretty much in charge of the fruits and vegetables. We know what to do and how to do it. For some unknown reason, the radish has become my specialty! After six months of doing this, I find myself in awe of those little red vegetables.

They can end up on the bottom of 30 pounds of heavy produce and still survive!

 

Pity the poor kiwi, with its hairy, ugly skin…..it crushes under the least bit of pressure. The apples and oranges make it through pretty well but we’d expect them to…..they have some staying power. Pears are so gentle; we usually lose most of them. Lettuces can be tricky as can the tomatoes.

 

But the radishes! Oh sure, they need their messy greens cut off but then with a good washing, they’re perky again, bright red and fresh as daisies. I’ve never had to say good bye to a single one. And I never want to. I admire their stability, their sturdiness, their determination to survive. If only they could give lessons to some of their more vulnerable kin.

 

But, alas, they are unique. I love getting my hands around them on Monday mornings, watching them recover from a hard trip and enjoying their revival. If only I could inherit just a tiny bit of their strength. Maybe, if I’m lucky and keep at it, a little will seep, like osmosis, through my fingers.