“Zip-a- dee- doo- dah Zip-a-dee-A. My oh my, what a wonderful day. Plenty of sunshine heading my way --- come on and zip-a-dee-doo-dah zip-a-dee-A!”
That’s kind of what happens for me when I drink whiskey. I like carrying that feeling with me into all of my days (even though I cannot always have whiskey lol!).
It’s an amazing feeling to feel like life is wonderful and filled with sunshine.
It’s also a gift that I am truly and incredibly thankful for because I know it is not a feeling that everyone has every day. I never really thought much about my personality until I was around 15 and from time to time would hear comments from my peers like “Girl! Why are you so happy all the time?”
A few times I even replied, “I am high on life!” I didn’t realize it then, but I bottled up that feeling and carried it with me.
It’s a feeling that comes naturally for me most days, but as I have aged there were moments when I found it difficult to access.
And, I began to think that something was wrong with me. Like really wrong. Maybe, I was sad, depressed even. Maybe, I was tired, frustrated even. Maybe, I had just felt so beaten down that I couldn’t get there, but I knew I had it in me. To be high on life.
So, as I thought about this more, I thought about being a whiskey girl and how much I love being that!
I did try tequila once.
And, that was one time too many. We won’t talk about what happened. My mother’s jaw would drop.
So, back to being a whiskey girl.
When I first started drinking it, I didn’t appreciate the aroma or the rich depth that came with it. I mean after all; I was only five taking sips from my Dad’s whiskey and coke. Wait what?
It took some time for me to figure out what drinking whiskey was all about.
It’s not so much about the way it makes you feel. The zip-a-dee-doo-dah and warmth are certainly nice. The calm, relaxation that can come with it is good too, but it’s really about the way in which you approach the whiskey.
When you take a shot, you miss out on all the depth that whiskey can provide. When you learn to take your time with it, you will learn to appreciate all that it truly has to offer.
It will cause you to slow down as you breathe in its beautiful aroma to better understand what you are about to encounter. Slowly letting the oaky, smooth, almost fiery smell run through your body. When you pour it neat and swirl it around in your glass to open up the aroma even more and take a small sip it seems to ground you. It is helpful to know what lies ahead to better determine what choices you are going to make. In this case, neat or on the rocks. 😉
Not all whiskeys are the same.
Some are more oaky and charred, but slowly warm your soul; others are sweeter, but their burn packs a punch. Some moments in life are like that --- a little rough, but in the end beautiful; while others might look sweet, but in the end leave you feeling like you have to walk around with your chest all bowed out ready to take another blow.
There is a refinement to whiskey that you don’t find with other liquors and a genuine warmth to the finish.
It sets your soul on fire and sometimes leaves you with a smile. It’s a little dark with a glimmer of sunshine bursting through. It is important to be intentional when you drink it, as not to over-consume it as it loses its luster then.
Whiskey is not a people pleaser.
It doesn’t care if you like it or not. It does its own thing and dances to the beat of its own barrel. It will stick with you long after you take a sip. It’s not God, it doesn’t have all of the answers, but it can remind you of the bold and brave person that you are.
I don’t recommend drinking it on a daily or even on a weekly basis, but a good strong drink every now and again is okay.
Regardless, of whether you drink whiskey or have another preferred beverage of choice, I highly recommend bottling up whatever it is that brings you joy and grounds you.
My bottle is filled with sunshine and rainbows, elephants and sunflowers, baseballs, a compass and a paintbrush or two, Christmas and Polka songs, kolaches, cowboy boots, a rope, a fire and ice rose, a rosary and of course a little whiskey.
I sip on it throughout the day to remind me to slow down and breathe deep when I need that, to give me a little extra zip in my doo-dah when I need that, and a little more bold and brave when I need that. It’s a beautiful reminder of why I love jumping into the day being a whiskey girl and an even greater reminder of the important moments in my life to keep me grounded.
Where can you go in your mind to be “high on life?”
Where can you go in your mind to stay grounded?
Take a moment today, to consider what your “whiskey” bottle might contain?
Write it down, draw a picture of it and put it where you can see it every day.
Take a “sip” every morning and anytime you need it during the day --- it’s your life after all – you can drink from it all day!
Have a beautiful day ya'll!
All My Love,
Jen
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