Wednesday, February 15, 2023
“A devout life does bring wealth, but it’s the rich simplicity of being yourself before God. Since we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that’s enough.” ~ 1 Timothy 6:6-8 The Message
My valentine took me out to dinner last night, to a place that is new to us, in Middletown, VA. The atmosphere was great, from being greeted at the door by a host who handed me a long stem rose, to the Valentine’s Day themed desserts. The food was great, but the service was slow and a bit discombobulated. The table next to our table arrived at the same time we did, and left after their three courses while we were still waiting for our main course.
There have been times in our lives where that would have been very upsetting. But on this, our 53rd Valentine’s Day since we first started dating, it simply gave us more time to talk and reflect. We both recalled our first Valentine’s Day, when Rod hid a card in the Chemistry textbook he’d borrowed from me before the long weekend. I had a great, fun-filled weekend, and didn’t open the Chemistry book until the end of it. One might infer that I was a procrastinator and would be correct. Inside the front cover was a lovely, sweet Valentine’s Day card from Rod. We are still together, proving that love overlooks faults.
On the way home, Rod mentioned that he discovered the restaurant via Google. The menu, the photos of the restaurant including the white tablecloths (not something we’ve encountered in our county), persuaded him to give it a shot, even though the price was high. He said that as he discovered how discombobulated the service was, he had second thoughts about the expenditure. And then, when he got the bill, he discovered that the price was for the couple, not individuals. The price really didn’t matter. We are wealthy in time, a luxury not to be taken for granted.
We don’t know what the next moment will bring, which makes this moment priceless.
With gratitude for this moment ~ Anne
Wayfinding 