Eat the Cheeseburger

I love cheeseburgers.  When done right, they're meaty and cheesy and ohhhh so satisfying.  Piled high with a mess of toppings or just plain and simple, I love them all.  The fact is, I don't eat them nearly as much as I'd like to.  Sometimes I talk myself out of it, thinking that it's not the healthiest of dining options and that my hips will thank me for opting for a healthier choice.  The truth is, I should eat that cheeseburger.  I should appreciate it for every little delicious calorie and lick my fingers satisfyingly when I'm all done.  Then I should slink back into the chair with a giant grin on my face, knowing that I enjoyed pure and utter contentment.

I debated all day whether or not to put up a post like this but I can't seem to stop thinking thoughts like this.  I received some terribly sad news yesterday that has sort of made time stand still for a moment.  One of my friends from when I lived in the DC area had very suddenly and very unexpectedly passed away.  He leaves a wife and a son.  He was just 31.   There are no words to express a loss like this.  It's an absolute tragedy and one that leaves much confusion and shock.

I tell you this because I'm sure I'm not the only one who forgets how important and valuable life truly is and it's unfortunate the circumstances that wake us up to this fact.  We spend too much of our valuable time worrying, stressing and disliking and not enough time smiling, enjoying and celebrating.  We stress over whether or not we're good enough, rich enough, pretty enough and happy enough.  We neglect to tell the people we love that they mean the world to us.  We put off traveling and we don't take chances because we're afraid of failure.  We forget that we only have one life to live and it's our job to live it to the fullest.

On that note, I urge you to make time to call friends and family that you haven't talked to in a while.  Tell people that you love them and do it often.  Smile more and frown less.  Forget petty things.  Celebrate all of life's little accomplishments and be happy for what you have.  Eat the cheeseburger or fudge brownie sundae or giant bowl of oooey gooey mac and cheese..whatever it is that makes you weak in the knees and savor it.  Let your nostrils take in the aromas.  Appreciate it as the flavors as they dance around in your mouth.

And most importantly, take the time to pause, sit back and enjoy.