Today's Moment of Fulfillment

It’s just me, some of Chile’s finest artisan bread, and a spoonful of dulce manjar. I sit comfortably couched between the creamy, crumb-covered tablecloth and the glowing light overhead; I am alone, a child delightfully dabbing that sweet substance over my perfectly crisp and soft pan amasada. Every bite is a moment of stillness in movement, every cell of my body focused on the simple pleasure of deliciousness. Images of the wonderful people who have colored my life today warm my mind, and then thoughts of a lifetime of fabulous folks pour unto me. Crumbs tumble downward and my grin is imbued with some hums and a few nam, nam, nams! And ah, those soulful eating noises bring to mind another beloved friend from college, one whose eyes would crinkle at those happy food sounds. And here I am, a mug half-full of chamomile tea in one hand and a spoon streaked with the residues of manjar in the other. That last bite of creamy bread settles down into my welcoming stomach like a ten-year-old wriggling down into a particularly large, comfy chair, and my spoon promises me a few more moments of yumminess. Mmm-mmm-mmmmm. Yes, I could sit holding this lovely spoon forever, suspended between one joy and another but needing neither –with a thousand loving faces in mind and the fulfillment of the moment unending.