Joie de Vivre

I flipped through the book at an airport kiosk. I was waiting for a flight and glanced through the little bookstore to see what was being offered. I liked what I read and it made sense to me. I knew I wanted to read the whole book someday. That day came this fall. Our library out here doesn't have the greatest selection of English books so I was excited when I placed a request for this title and they actually had it. I read it. In a few days. It was good. It was inspiring. And it rang true with a lot of what I strive for.

It talks about slowing down and savoring. Of enjoying really good food. Of making the food yourself. Of family traditions and the wisdom of the generations. It talks about beauty and poise and how you don't look pretty just with a swipe of lipstick. 

 

It only increased my desire to travel. To Europe. 

 

Would I own it? I'm not sure. Probably not. It's readily available at the library and while I concur with a lot of what she says, I don't concur with everything and I'd rather spend my money on something I can completely embrace and then lend out and read. Again and again. 

 

But I'm so glad I read it. 

 

We lay our table each night with candles. We turn off the main light and slightly angle the sink light to cast more light on our table. The glow encourages us to rest, to savor, to enjoy, to talk. To let all the day's burdens and joys out. 

 

We buy a bar of dark chocolate. We savor a square alongside our chai tea. We are satisfied. 

  

We delight in what is most possibly the best baguette we have ever eaten. We let the nuances of the flavor and texture dance on our tongue. We eat the whole loaf. 

 

We walk to the grocery store. We only have a few items to bring home. We breathe deeply. We smile and laugh at our inside jokes. 

 

She talks about all of that in her book. And while I don't share the same experiences as her, I share the same passion for enjoying life. And I enjoyed her book. It's called French Women Don't Get Fat. 

 

She just doesn't talk about the reason why we can enjoy life so much. We can enjoy life in all its beauty and in all its gore because this is not where it ends. We're living with eternity in view, we're striving to follow what Jesus said. He didn't say it would be easy or fun but He did say that we would have joy and that we would have Him.