Slow down and make the moment last

 Last night I was enjoying my L&G meal. Knowing it is my only whole food meal in my day,  I consciously made an effort to savor each bite which resulted in placing my fork on the plate while I chewed all the flavors I could savor from each morsel. 

As I reached yo replenish  my fork, the image of the flat wear resting on a plate full of food, struck me odd. I wondered when was the last time I slowed down and truly enjoy all the flavors of my food? I honestly don’t remember when or why I began racing through my meals as if I was being timed with a stop watch but somewhere in my youth the seed to rush through meals and move on to other activities was planted. 

In my circle of friends inviting one another out for a meal is common practice and we all seem to eat at the same pace. I can think of only two exceptions; an Italian family where having an evening meal will be hours of consuming multiple courses of food and many types of beverage. Ciao Vito and Belinda I love you. The other exception to the norm is a soft spoken, well educated gentleman named Ray.  He stands tall at 6’3”, is slight in build, weighing in at a maximum of 175lb and he has to be the slowest eater I have ever known! Typically I’m ordering dessert while he is still forking his salad. To exasperate this situation Ray will order appetizers, main dish, sides and dessert!  The rest of us laugh about how awkward it is to sit and watch Ray finish his meal as he methodically masticates his greens and leans.  

I had an occasion to ask him about his prolonged eating habit and if he actually chewed each bite 60 times? I was surprised by his answer. Ray acknowledged that he is a slow eater and that chewing his food thoroughly is good for his digestive system but another reason he savored his meals was because the Biblical taught him to.  This information regarding the Bible was news to me so i looked it up and sure enough there is an interpretation of Joshua1:8 in the new international version bible that references chewing food and contemplation. 

I’m not known as a religious man however I am spiritual and if seeing an empty fork resting on a full plate of food is Gods way of telling me to keep meditating about what I nourish myself with then I’ll happily accept and hear that message.