The sun sets on another day…
I saw sunset Slide down the street and bring darkness with twilight and then a whole lot of color splashed on every house on the street. I walked up the hill to see the skies and watched the color fade into the West. A Crimson Cape slid across the horizon like some giant superhero flying to save another part of the world. I smiled and walked back to the house and left the door open so the colors could dance.
I had dinner with my family today at a hibachi restaurant. If you’ve ever had dinner with a two year old and a four year old you would know it’s full of controlled chaos. Today at the hibachi table both kids were playing and looking for some way to amuse themselves as they waited.
As the soup came out my youngest granddaughter was in heaven. She could eat soup all night and never tire of it and I still laugh all the time at her grabbing the spoon with a hearty yell of “I do it” and the subsequent series of stains from whatever soup she was eating. Tonight this was a broth soup with mushrooms and she loved every moment of it. As she finished the soup we were back to not enough to do and trying to keep them occupied.
If you’ve never been to an actual hibachi with the little show I recommend going not only is the food good, but it’s also a lot of excitement as the chef spins his knives, does a Japanese egg roll, and sets the cook area on fire. I have seen the show many many times, tonight I saw it through a child’s eyes as the fire and knife twirling began both grandchildren were mesmerized. There was no fear, no retreating from the flames, but instead a twinkle in their eyes waiting for what would happen next. Things were chopped up, eggs were slid down little ramps, and things just kept happening over and over and I wondered if they were breathing they were so focused on all of it.
When the cook made a volcano out of onions I saw the glimmer of a smile in my granddaughter’s eyes and her lips curled up wryly as the flames came out of the top and then the added liquid became a bubbling volcano. The cook finished cooking and they were both excited and watching him even though they were also starting to nibble on the food and greedy for more. Both of them had said they weren’t hungry but now they couldn’t get enough and our plates became a grazing pad for them to fill their stomachs.
We finished eating without incident and without boredom. The food was great and you could have no better dinner with grandkids. The amazement was not over. As we left the Shogun, the pond outside was full of goldfish and I managed to dig into my pocket for a single quarter. Arcade handful of fish food and we threw food to giant goldfish and carp and watched them roll over top of each other in a frenzy making both kids laugh.
Of course I’ve seen this as well. My point today is it’s fantastic to sit back and remember that in spite of me seeing it before that this was an amazing occurrence. Let’s not forget all of the excitement we used to feel or we once felt and instead embrace the feelings that we have each and every day. Let’s embrace it all and as we do enjoy those things that perhaps some people take for granted. I try not to, I try not to.
So as the sun sets on another day, every breath is a chance to be amazed by the world. Feel the world around you and in doing so embrace the possibilities. Laugh with somebody, cry with somebody, experience with somebody, but do something and stop letting the world pass you by. The goldfish have it right as each one of them wants to get to the food and they don’t give up. We should be so greedy for a single kiss, a single laugh, a moments love, an exciting adventure. I think that’s what life is about. Maybe I’m wrong but maybe, just maybe, life is about experiencing life. Make every day yours, no matter what.
Sleep sweet, love life, and enjoy it all…