Even the most accomplished chefs wait until they have tasted a dish to react. Yes, the plating may be a fantastic work of art. The smells could transport one to another place. The ingredients can be perfect. Everything is in place for the perfect dish, and yet the judgment sits, waiting.
With the benefit of time, I see my past differently than I saw it when it was all to be lived in the future. I think of the observation and agree; a “good reputation is better than a fat bank account. Your death date tells more than your birth date.” (Ecclesiastes 7.1). As I finished a dinner of comfort food, I thought about the taste combinations, textures, and lessons I now had that could work with another dish. I have a variation of this opportunity with the day ahead.
Remembering and celebrating are worthwhile activities. Life’s whispers call me to pause in reflection for a time and then move forward with my lessons in hand. The outcomes and impact are what they are. There is nothing to change. No additional work will impact what is on the table. When a dish is ready, eat and enjoy all it has to offer. When it is finished, reflect, learn, and imagine the next dish with what you now know.
Enjoy and respond to life as it is. Living is found in the moment. I hear this. Intuitively, I know this to be true. With my insight, awareness, and belief, I still catch myself living in yesterday. The comfort meal reminded me that I began with a limited number of ingredients. Nothing seemed possible. Yet, with hindsight, there were options to be explored, avenues to take, and dishes to be prepared and enjoyed.
As satisfied as I am in the moment, there will be a time coming for another dish. Life moves relentlessly forward. I am invited, called, and pulled into each moment with the recurring question. What will I do with what I know? Today, I will take my lessons and construct a new dish.
