There are so many things to do this time of year: concerts, work parties, entertaining—an exquisite yet exhausting sensory overload. So, it’s not a bad idea to stop and collect ourselves over a beer or a coffee.
The ever-civilized British would serve you, in the good old days, not so much as a toothpick that was not on a doily plate upon a silver tray, providing comfort and a little elevation from the everyday. The Parisians would deliver a tray with drinks and a little complement—a tiny dish of nuts, delectable chocolate, eggs or crisps.
For me, the tartan tablecloth from Ireland is brought out each November. I put it in an area of the house and it manages to reflect a ray of calm that quiets the clamor. It reminds me to savor the tea, intention time, relationship time.
We do many of our daily tasks on autopilot. When we remind ourselves to listen to our body, hear the silence when it snows, drink with intention, our blood begins to flow to the sensory part of our brain, helping to keep it healthy. Eating a bit more slowly and taking time to think about what you’re eating and who with, seems to promote longer life.
Margaret Wachholz is the campus marketing director at Woodbury Senior Living.
