There is a poem written by Robert Service called the Ballad of Sam McGee and one line in that poem has stuck in my brain since the day I heard a friend quote it: “ Now a promise made is a debt unpaid.” After hearing that line, promises were much more sacred to me.
A while back, Jilda and I experienced what we called, a perfect day. In our time together we have been lucky to experience many of those days. The sun was warm and a gentle breeze came out of the west making a summer day feel more autumn-like. The weather was wonderful that day, but we have had perfect days on cold rainy days as well.
We had invited friends over for dinner and we spent the morning gathering fresh flowers from the garden as well as our ripest tomatoes.
We learned years ago, those perfect days come about with a little sweat equity. There was planning, cooking, cleaning, menus to plan, and of course music to make the experience wonderful. Jilda loves to entertain, I think that is why our friends love to visit our house.
Now it seems we just don’t invite friends over enough. The older we get, the busier we have become, but that’s true for our friends as well. We all know the importance of gathering but getting schedules together is like solving a Rubik’s Cube blindfolded.
First thing that morning Jilda put on the sauce for the pasta. She lets it simmer all day and the smell fills the house and I always want to stir the pot and lick the spoon. A quick trip to the store and I picked up wine, fresh bread and for the antipasto I got salami, cheese and olives. Then a trip by the freezer for ice cream to top the raspberry crumb cake she was baking for dessert.
Our friends arrived, and laughter filled our house. We sat around around for hours eating, sipping wine, talking and making memories.
Had you told me when I was younger how much pleasure I would get from sitting around with friends eating and talking I would have thought you insane. Now, I can’t imagine a better way to spend my time.
That night as our friends left, we promised each other to make the effort to gather more often. We know life happens and it takes effort but those gatherings are so worth it.
Life is fragile and time slips by. If you tarry too long you might miss your chance of letting someone know how much they mean to you, how much time together means to you. It’s important to remember, “A promise made is a debt unpaid.”
