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Resting

On a brisk autumn day, I took a walk.

The sky was cloud filled and a rather noticeable northwest wind kept reminding me to not get too comfortable. My eyes gazed out over the prairie and I started to hum a lullaby.

The lullaby’s melody hadn’t crossed my thoughts for many years but, as I looked at the prairie, I saw it being put to rest for the winter. It had fulfilled its duty and given everything it could — despite a rather challenging weather year — to produce a decent harvest.

And now, the soil was being given a chance to replenish and to rest after the fall tillage. Seeing what was happening in the fields around me, I begin to remember how we did our fall tillage on the farm and when done with a field, I would say: “Rest easy and thanks.”

As I strolled by the resting field, that lullaby begin to float through my memory and I began to hum Brahms Lullaby: “Lullaby and good night, in the skies stars are bright…”

Nope! I hadn’t had too much to drink. I wasn’t sleep deprived nor had I taken any medicine. The resting prairie did it to me. Like everything in our lives, the soil needs to sleep and the thoughts went through my mind about resting and waiting.

The prairie rests during the winter months and is waiting for spring when new seeds are to be planted so it can become, once again, productive. It wants to fulfill its role in the seasons of the year.

Isn’t that what we all desire? To somehow fulfill our roles during our brief stay on earth? The huge question is:”What’s our role? How long do we seek it? What if we don’t find that role?

Sitting at a meeting the other day, I saw someone I didn’t know. Big deal, right? We don’t know everyone we come across but, our meeting was about coming together as a community. If I don’t know someone in my community, isn’t it necessary to become acquainted with that person? If our goal is for the common good, I mustn’t wait nor rest until I know this unknown person.

After the meeting, I waited until the proper time and then introduced myself. We rested in our chairs and had a very interesting chat about who we are, where we came from and how we arrived at the same coffee shop at the same time.

It seems we share some commonalities and later that day I poured myself a glass of wine and pondered about our conversation. Yes, we were strangers but it seems we have many things in common and it’s through our talking together that we find ourselves.

Finding ourselves … that’s so loaded with meaning. Maybe it’s like wandering through the aisles of a wine store and trying to find what wine is best suited for us. Let’s not forget some of those bottles of wine have been resting somewhere and waiting for us to find them.

Recently I found a bottle of wine that has been waiting for me since 2012. Normally one must be a bit skeptical of a seven-year-old bottle of wine but this one called to me. It’s called Hella Fine by Save Me, San Francisco Wine Company. It’s a merlot that has rested for a long time and was waiting for someone to drink it. I’m glad to have found it.

There’s a story behind the wine centering on one of the band members of Train but, beyond that story, the wine has the wonderful smooth taste of a merlot. Almost surprisingly, it has a nice chocolate taste that pairs perfectly with its cherry taste. A pleasant wine and I’m glad it rested until I found it.

Another wine that rested for over two years and waited until I discovered it, is Concha Y Toro’s Frontera — a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and merlot. That’s not an uncommon blend but this Chilean wine has wonderful fruity flavors to go along with its cocoa tastes. It’s mild to drink and has a very fine finish. The Chileans are doing great things with wines.

A bottle of Mazzoni Sangiovese Merlot appeared before me in the wine aisle and because it was 7 years old, I had to taste it. The 7-year rest made this wine delicious. The Sangiovese gives the wine a solid base while the Merlot provides the lusciousness one should find in this blend. It’s from Tuscany and I don’t think there’s a wine not worth waiting for from this region of Italy.

There are wines that, once found, one shouldn’t wait to revisit nor rest until you taste it again. Such a wine is Sileni Estates Sauvignon Blanc — a beautiful wine from New Zealand. I’ve had it before and love its light tropical fruit taste and refreshing finish. Besides being reasonably priced, it’s readily available and one doesn’t have to wait for it.

Like the prairie, it’s time for me to rest with my glass of wine. Why should I rest? Because I believe a good wine, beer or cocktail beckons us to wait, to enjoy and to rest.

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