Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

“Eat, drink and be merry.” Or so the Roman God, Bacchus, supposedly advises. “For tomorrow you shall die.”

I have always taken this sentiment to mean, live it up now baby, ‘cause heck, we’re all going to die in the end! The antithesis to a spiritual practice in life, right?

Eating and Drinking on the Rhine

But wait, I just spent two weeks with six in-laws eating, drinking, and being merry, as we cruised up the Rhine. Yes, it was great and yes, there was some inner work involved in the experience.

Some of that inner work had to do with letting go of my personal routines, my regular practice, held attitudes and judgements. I was concerned I’d feel out of sync with the family dynamic. Being a square peg in the familial cogwheel is something I’d experienced at family gatherings. This was going to be a two week long family gathering!

But my inner struggle also had to do with taking on things: schedules set by others, being part of a crowd, socializing in ways I wasn’t attracted to. Hmmm, sounds like working with Likes and Dislikes.

Learning to be Merry

And guess what? I learned some things. By opening myself to being part of a unit that I didn’t think I resonated with, I found that I did. The turning point came in the middle of the cruise when there was an evening excursion to a German restaurant scheduled. I’d been battling a cold, a convenient excuse not to go to everything. The idea of eating and drinking with lots of people in a Baühaüs wasn’t that appealing, anyway. But I decided to make an effort and join in.

That night was a turning point. Yes, the place was packed with us tourists, affording little chance to meet and know real Germans. But it also turned out to be the best event of the cruise. The food was terrific (who knew German Food could be so good?) and the wine was fine and free flowing. One of my sisters-in-law jumped onto the dance floor and danced YMCA (of all things!) with the master of ceremonies to live music. The whole place got into it and Yes, I did too. After that, my health got better and so did my attitude.

Appreciating What Is

The point is, God (or whatever) made this incredible planet. And we live on it for a short span of time. What are we here for if we spend the whole experience focused on not being here?

I’ve come to think that perhaps the Romans were very aware of the fragility of life. Living with that awareness also brings the sense of appreciating each moment, including eating, drinking, and being merry. For indeed, we do know—tomorrow we will die. And today we are alive.