Hiking in Pearls

Month: May 2026

  • Three Word Story Challenge – Part 2

    Three Word Story Challenge – Part 2

    Friends – Cherry Blossom – Rejoice

    “The potential for heavy frost is likely, especially as we get into those lower elevations. I would expect it to look like a carpet of snow as you head out for the early morning commute.” The meteorologist’s words still rung in my ears as I cupped a cherry blossom between my fingers.

    A vibrant pink circle held the delicate petals around the pistil. Leaning in closer I heard the flower whisper truths of its strength and hidden weakness.

    “I am strong,” the blossom spoke.

    “I bend with the wind that tugs and pulls at my white skirts. I have learned to dance with what comes that I may not be torn apart.”

    “I am strong,” the blossom spoke.

    “I do not crumble under the weight of the bee. Instead, I share my life to provide something sweet for thee.”

    “Yet alone, I find that I am weak,” the bloom continued to speak.

    “Left unattended the frost will be my end. I need a covering to make it through this bitter trend.”

    “Yes, I see,” I answered the tree. “It’s not so different for me.”

    We are built for community. How do I know?

    Even the beginning took two you know.

    A developing bud and a life knit in the womb both birthed on a tree with ancestry.

    Life has come. A new story begun.

    Petals unfold and arms learn to hold.

    We find our friends a fruit all their own.

    Different seasons proving their merit.

    My prayer is that you have a bushel to inherit.

    I shook out the cloth.

    “I will be your friend, a covering for you. Together we will fight. Together we win. We both will rejoice with a harvest in the end.”

    In grace and peace,

    Sharon Rose

  • Three Word Short Story Challenge – Part 1

    Three Word Short Story Challenge – Part 1

    Join me on this series where I create a short story using three random words.

    Fragile – Spiritual – Sunshine

    The bag was almost empty when I reached for another cranberry orange butter cookie. These things should be illegal. Or maybe you should quit making them, I told myself while the tangy orange icing melted smoothly into the sweetness of the cranberry. Subtle hints of butter formed the floor on which the flavors danced across my tongue. I gave them time to blend fully before swallowing.

    There was something spiritual about this moment on my porch. The smell of fresh brewed coffee hung heavy in the air. It had filtered through the window screen to where I sat looking east over the front yard. A multitude of birds had found comradery among the cherry trees. An eagerness to fill their bellies with heavens bounty allowed them to set aside their differences for a moment.

    A shadow from a nest could still be seen in the grass below one of the trees. It, along with the clouds that muted the sunshine was the only lingering evidence of the storm that had rolled through earlier. Reminded of the shattered eggs near the nest, I contemplated how truly fragile life is. Everything can change in a second.

    “When you really think about it,” I told the cat laying at my feet. “All we have is this moment. We better make it count,” I said before I took another cookie from the bag.

    If you would like to be in on the fun, leave you word (keep it clean) in the comments. Remember to check back in the coming days for your part in the fabric of the story!

    In grace and peace,

    Sharon Rose