My parents retired to a smaller home in the Aurora area as they aged, and their home had a cherry tree in the backyard. I would visit them weekly from the north suburbs with my children.
When the tree started to bear fruit, my father would sew together many yards of netting to cover the entire tree to keep birds from eating the berries. When the time came to pick the cherries, we would sit in the yard removing the pits with a spoon according to his technique. The hours spent just talking while working and staining our fingers with the cherry juice was never considered a chore.
Even though both my parents are gone now, I still look forward to the sour cherries sold at farmers markets and the memories of that special time in the backyard with the cherry tree.
