Normally, quotes don't hit that hard with me. But this line triggered a fountain of emotions, making me sob like a baby. that was not the part of the movie I expected to cry at.
I am currently experiencing my second major loss this year. Emotional wounds that I thought were healing are now open again, bringing a rainfall of tears on my cheeks, a flood of emotions in my heart as I grieve, and a downpour of physical side effects. In times like these, it's hard to remember that this too shall pass, and at some point this will all become a distant memory.
Last night I sat down with a bottle of Viognier for a future blog post. I took my first few sips to begin my tasting notes, and all of a sudden a fleeting moment of calm and relief came over me as I was swishing the wine in my mouth. Because I was so caught up in my own negative emotions, I had somehow forgotten how happy wine makes me, no matter how bad I feel.
"Wine cheers the sad, revives the old, inspires the young, makes weariness forget his toil." - Lord Byron
Wine is there for you. Think of all those lonely bottles on store shelves, wanting to make you happy. How many of you have thought "I can't wait to get home, put my feet up and drink a bottle of wine" after a bad day? Or made an impromptu side trip to your local liquor store or pub because you wanted to be cheered up? One of my favourite ecards refers to wine as a life coach at the end of a hard day:
Wine is a hug for the soul and a blanket for sorrow. Same thing for those who prefer beer or other spirits. The key is to enjoy them all in moderation. Unfortunately, there are some people out there who drink alcohol in excess to deal with the really tough stuff, but addiction is a whole other story. How many times has a glass or 2 of wine made you smile through your tears, even for a moment? How many of you have taken that first sip and thought "Wow, I'm really enjoying this"?
Case in point: My father. He was diagnosed with tonsil cancer back in 2008. Thirty-five radiation treatments destroyed his sense of taste for 4 months. Once he was finished treatment and beginning to heal, he found that wine confirmed his tastebuds were returning, helping with the emotional healing process. Fast forward to today: he is currently 5 years cancer-free
This also happens in the movie (spoiler alert!): the star-crossed lovers are treated to a romantic dinner, which includes a bottle of Dom Perignon. Check out the video clip here. This becomes the pinnacle happy moment in their relationship, and the couple enjoys another bottle of sparkling wine on one of their last good days together.
Multiple studies have been performed on this subject, and if you google "studies that wine makes you happy" or something similar, you'll get pages of hits. How much fun would it be to participate in those studies?!
We all have a journey to take in life. There will be happy times intertwined with challenges. The sun won't shine every day, and we are all guaranteed to be caught in the downpour of life at some point. But while we are stuck in the rain, why not try and find shelter, whatever it may be, and reach for a good bottle of wine to enjoy while we wait for our rainbows? Or you could also dance in the rain:
That's what I'm going to do. And I know as I continue along my healing journey, my wine journey will help me get back to being okay.
