The last strawberry a famous parable often attributed to the buddha; illustrates the tale of a man running from a tiger. He falls down a cliff and manages to cling on to a vine, but sees a tiger below.

He clings on for dear life with one tiger above and one below. The vine is the only object seperating him from certain death. However, he notices two mice gnawing their way through the vine – death is the conclusive ending.

There is no timeline to his conclusion; will he fall and be mauled by the tiger below or  climb the vine and face the tiger of his past, all before the mice gnaw through the vine and decide his fate. Whatever his fate maybe, death is inevitable – it is for us all and a comprehension we all have to contend with.

Despite imminent death, he notices a wild strawberry growing from the rocks.  Never before seeing such a delightful,  savoring, blushing crimson red strawberry in all his days. He reaches out, plucks and eats the strawberry and experiences a point in time of such sweetness and joy.

Facing such dread and fear, but still experienced a moment of connection with the present. A point of contentment, safety and tranquility. You may ponder how does the story end? Do any of us know how our story ends? No, but it inevitably will and we have always known this.

This is a story of suffering. The tigers representing the regret of the past and the worries of the future, the vine the thread of life; whilst the mice being the eroding time of our lives. Nevertheless, the suffering is not our lives but the running and disconnection from it.

In the face of fear, uncertainty and inevitable death you can choose to be present and connected with the beauty, joy and peace that surrounds you. The strawberry represents moments of choice, joy, contentment and acceptance. We all have fears, worries and regrets and we can not escape them, but we can learn to accept them

This is not only a story of suffering, but a message of appreciation and validation.  Embrace the “strawberries” in your life.

We all have challenges, especially in the modern world to be more present and appreciative of moments. However, if this is relatable and feels specific to you – feel free to reach out at jon@attachedtherapy.co.uk.