For many, blueberry picking is a healthy way to be outside, gathering the tiny pieces of fruit one by one, making for a yummy snack on the ride home, or maybe even a pie.

For Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Colin Moussette ’26, blueberry picking resulted in a published tribute to his parents, Jon and Kris.

Colin’s piece, “Blueberry Rows,” was published in mid-September in the Cathartic Youth Literary Magazine, which the website states is a “space for youth writing on mental health and identity.”

“I believe the place where a piece of writing appears is just as important as the message itself,” Colin shared. “Cathartic Youth Literary Magazine is dedicated to youth voices on mental health and identity, making it a natural fit for what my essay represents.”

His essay described blueberry adventures with his mom while the family vacationed in Maine - the experience depicting her character then and now. The start of the second paragraph read: “My stomach warmed like the contents of a cauldron over a fire at my mother’s touch, bubbling with a child's love - not for anything in particular, like a toy or book, but for her presence.”

“I have always loved reading books, so writing naturally followed,” Colin explained. “It really began with my habit of annotating every book I read. From quick notes to longer reflections in the margins, I’ve always made a point to record whatever came to mind as I engaged with a text.”

Colin’s classroom experiences at the Academy has pushed his writing talents.

“In my AP Language class with Mr. (Tim) Harrington and my AP Literature class with Ms. (Meg) Hutcheson, I’ve learned to blur the line between fiction and non-fiction,” he articulated. “In truth, I believe one can learn just as much from a novel as from an essay. I enjoy conversations with people, and I see writing as another form of dialogue - putting thoughts onto paper is, for me, synonymous with speaking to an audience.”

And Colin spoke - beautifully. Using a photograph from simpler times, he chose his words carefully in describing what has happened, and to a degree, what is yet to come. He closed with: “The genuine happiness behind my lips and eyes brings tears, not just because of the duality of love, but because of the privilege of memory. My body, my scent, my laugh - each moment in time stands still, unaltered by the fears for the future and regrets of the past; a reminder that without the photographs of childhood, I remain a stranger.”

Colin said, “I am who I am today because of my family and close friends. Being at WMA has given me countless opportunities to grow not only academically, but also personally. The story I wrote about my mother, father and me is a tribute to my respect and admiration for them - not only as parents, but as people and lifelong inspirations for the work I will undoubtedly continue at the Academy in my last year.”