GRACE NOTE

 

[Grace Note: a musical note added as an ornament.]

Did you ever have a sudden wash of well-bring come over you?

It happened to me, a few minutes before six one evening, as I was finishing my meal. I had eaten a combination of quinoa and rice, topped with steamed broccoli, and cooked chicken breast, seasoned with ground pepper and garlic powder; and to finish, a slice of fresh Indiana cantaloupe, peeled and lightly salted. Before the coffee had finished brewing, my spirits lifted.

Was it the alchemy of the foods? I often eat the same or similar combinations, winter and summer, spring or fall.

Was it the smell of the coffee as it brewed? Half decaf House Blend, half regular Pike Place, both from Starbucks. After the brewing, it is poured into a tall mug in which creamer has been heated.

Or was it the book I was reading—a multi-reread of W. J. Burley’s Wycliffe and the Dunes Mystery. I get no particular jolt in these rereads; they’re solely for the purpose of visiting with folks I know and admire, like the visits I make to my friend Jane’s house, or lunch with Liz a few times a year.

None of these possibilities strikes me as the reason for what I think of as sudden happiness. Each is good in itself; they are good together; but even the combination of all the elements doesn’t add up to a welling-forth of quiet ecstasy.

Mystery, yes. But possibly, more than likely, a divine gift.

And so I say, Thank You.