A Fruit of Longing

Three years ago, I stood in front of a gorgeous summer fruit platter at a networking event for female business owners. In the center of the platter, a pineapple crown rested as a decoration, and at its base, I noticed tiny roots peeking out. I'm really not the plant-growing type; that has always been Etai's domain. But Yifat, a friend of mine standing next to me, suggested I just take this crown, put it in a glass of water, and see what happens. Out of pure curiosity, I decided to give it a try, not knowing that one day, exactly three years later, it would become for me a fruit of longing.

The beginning was slow. The roots in the glass grew longer until there was no room left for them, so I transferred them to a pot on the balcony. The leaves grew and grew and grew, but there was no fruit in sight. I knew it was a process that takes at least two or three years, so I just kept watering, forgetting, remembering, and waiting.

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  כתר עלים של אננס מצמיח שורשים בכוס מים

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  עלי אננס גדולים בתוך עציץ

And then came this past May. We were right before our relocation to Albania; the house was overwhelmed with errands, and my mind was consumed with packing, preparations, and goodbyes. One morning, I went out to the balcony, peeked between the leaves, and paused for a moment. Deep inside, a miniature pineapple was hiding. I was truly moved and filled with curiosity for what was to come. We left Israel while it was still there, small and holding on to its soil.

Today, five months after that morning and almost exactly three years after that gathering, I received a message from the kids, out of the blue, asking: "Should we pick it?"

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  אננס מוכן לאכילה

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  אננס מוכן לאכילה

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  אננס מוכן לאכילה

After a family discussion, consulting with a friend and with the Chat, it was decided that this was exactly the time to pick it. It is a vibrant yellow-orange color, beautiful, with a sweet smell, and according to the kids' report after they cut and tasted it—it is "insanely delicious". The most moving part was seeing in the video they sent that they saved a piece in the freezer for me and Etai to taste when we come to visit Israel.

As a graphic designer with 30 years of experience, I am used to looking for the story behind every picture. The photos of this pineapple from my home in Israel are the exact visual contrast to the life I am documenting here in the diary. This relocation encapsulates not only the new experiences, but also what we left behind. This story focuses on the roots that took hold in the soil back home, precisely at the time I am trying to grow a new life in a foreign place. My visual diary doesn't just document my new life here, but also what is happening in the heart that stayed in Israel. The heart that grew for us, from afar, a fruit of longing.