Double Dog Dare...yes, this is the name of a wine!

I recently had the opportunity to go out with a very wonderful group of ladies. We are close yet we don't see each other as often as we should. We know each other well yet we often don't talk for months. We have fun together, yet we don't spend nearly enough time doing so. We share much yet we share infrequently. But on this particular night, we shared. We spoke of exciting prospects and of current happiness. We shared bottles of wine that were way too expense by half. But what the heck, you only live once, right? And the memory of the evening will stay with us long after the wine bottle has been emptied.

Imagine if we all lived our life the way we wanted to what would it look like? Would we eat cake for dinner more often? Would we say what we really felt a little louder? Would we be happier? Imagine having the courage to go forward and take the first step when you wanted something. Perhaps you are are a teenage girl and you would love to go for coffee with that cute guy in your Math class. Maybe you are a young man and you want to have a career as a pilot or a doctor. But you just don't think you'd be good enough. Give yourself a break! Why don't we just ask for the things we really want? Are we so programmed into believing that certain things are out of our reach that we don't even try? How many of us have, at one time or another, shrunk away from something we wanted, because we were too afraid to go after it? When, truth be told, we don't always get a second chance. Our lives are finite. They have a beginning, a middle and most definitely an end. The key to really living is to believe in ourselves and make the most of the middle. It's often the best part. Like an oreo cookie. Or a piece of cake with an extremely rich and decadent layer of icing in the middle. Or, my favourite...it's a bit like a bottle of wine. Work with me here, I'm really stretching with this one....Okay, take, for example, the first glass of wine...it's just been opened and hasn't fully breathed yet, your palate is unfamiliar with the taste (it's a new bottle, you've never tasted before). This is the beginning. It's new, fresh, and you're still making up your mind about it. Have another glass. Ahhh, yes, there's the full flavour, you allow it to roll around your tongue, tasting all the notes and savouring the smoothness. It slides down nicely. That's the middle....you can have another glass of the middle cause it tastes so yummy. Now you get to the end. You've had enough, you can't distinguish the notes as easily and your grip on the glass is a little bit shaky. The bottle is empty now. Time to turn in.  Don't you wish you could have another glass from the middle? So it is with life. We are given only one middle. It is up to each of us to make the most of it. Stop procrastinating on projects that you've set aside. Think about your dreams and how you can make them come true. If you are unhappy with something then take the chance and make a change. Find a new job, cut your hair, ride your bike more often, and by all means, drink more wine! Splurge once in a while and buy that bottle that you think is too expensive. Surprise your best friend, your lover or your sister and don't worry about the dollar sign. If you think it's worth it then it is. Because this is YOUR life and you deserve to be happy. When you learn to find happiness within yourself then you will bring happiness to others, thus making the middle a really great place to be.  I Double Dog Dare ya!  I'm in the middle right now and I'm pretty darn happy so what kind of wine do you like? 'Cause I'm buyin'

Note: Double Dog Dare is an inexpensive red wine that I found when I was on my way to go sailing. It was a great wine to drink while out on the boat, enjoying the fresh air.

Please feel free to leave your favourite wine in the comments section. I would welcome the opportunity to hear about some of the wines that are popular with others. ;-)