When’s the last time you took a few moments for yourself?
I mean really took a few moments for yourself and lived in the moment!
A couple of examples for you. First, at a recent meeting, my mind began to wander and the meeting had only gone on for about 30 minutes. Maybe I was tired or bored or distracted but, I was definitely not in the moment.
Suddenly, I noticed people turning and looking at me! Oh my gosh, what did I miss? Had I been asked a question by the presenter or had I been dozing noisily? Let’s just say I squirmed through the moment but a lesson was learned.
That brings up the second period of being in the moment and these are especially precious times for me — those quiet meditative moments when I’m able to sit quietly and listen.
Over the years, I’ve sat quietly in a park or a backyard or wherever life finds me. I silently sit, relax and listen. What do I sense? The flow of life around me.
I try to hear and feel what’s happening around me to fully experience the feeling of being there. Listening is so important to being in the moment, and I’m often amazed at what I hear. All of your senses are called for during these times. What do you see? What do you smell? What are you feeling?
Of course, it’s not necessary to be in a park or a quiet place to have this, in the moment, moment. It’s possible to have it in a noisy family gathering — which is very meaningful to me — or on a busy street. When sought, you will find these moments anywhere — just seek them.
But let’s not forget the sense of taste.
Beverages bring us to and from moments. They allow us to remember special times when we tasted a beverage and they bring us into the present time to celebrate or simply have a quiet moment. Wines do a fine job of taking us to memories and to the moments of making memories.
As a boy, I enjoyed the sight of a Weeping Willow tree in our yard. No matter the time of the year it always invited me to stand beneath its drooping branches and listen to the wind and the birds that where in its branches. Like a glass of Lone Birch Pinot Gris, it pleased me.
This Yakima Valley wine is so enticing and invites you to take a sip, to savor it and then to just think of its delicious pineapple and pears flavors. When you need a few minutes to unwind from the turmoil of the day, let Lone Birch help you to take a few moments for yourself.
The other day I sensed the need to go back in time and enjoy a glass of Hogue Cabernet Sauvignon. I was introduced to this wine a long time ago, and, for some reason, the Columbia Valley was calling to me. I got a bottle of Hogue and sat down with it. I could see myself buying my initial bottle in a community wine store and how much I enjoyed the blackberry and vanilla tastes. Its light cherry aroma connected the past moment with the current moment — a real treat for me.
We all like to let loose once in awhile so why not enjoy a glass of Live-a-Little Wildly Wicked White Wine from South Africa? Even the most reserved of us will be given the opportunity to kick off our shoes, let down our hair and take in the mild citrus flavor and acidity of this wine. It’s semi-dry but its crispness will give you many moments of pleasure.
What’s this all mean? Simply put — make time for yourself, be kind to yourself and in doing so live in momento. May you find many of these moments.
As always, eat and drink in moderation but laugh with reckless abandon!
Cheers!