The Bistro

There is a wonderful place to visit when you have the time. A place where the Soul can be refreshed and wounds can be healed. Down a little alleyway is a small wooden door that when opened, can deliver the fuel for dreams….I call it “The Bistro.”

Once inside The Bistro one can walk slowly to a table where a relaxing armchair awaits. All around the walls are shelves of books, each one covering whatever topic you desire. The decor has just the right light and colors to make you feel relaxed and at home. As you look around the tables, each person is engulfed in their own journey to find inner enlightenment. Slowly, the waiter walks towards us and says, “Good day….would you like to see a menu?” Gladly we answer, “Yes thank you.” This menu is like no other. Once opened, the tools of Life are revealed. The entrees here in The Bistro bypass the body and go straight to the Soul. The food, the drinks, and the desserts all have one hidden ingredient that is vital for growth…..Love. A famous song plays throughout The Bistro…..the song is called, “Without Love, There Is Nothing.” Strange, but true.

We decide to order the special of the day, which is called “The Bouillabaisse of Life.” We ask the waiter, “Is it good?” He answers, “Superb.” After a few minutes the bowl is laid on the table….we take our spoon, have a few sips, and after a few seconds we find ourselves getting up from the table and heading towards one of the bookshelves. Along the way a man at another table smiles and says, “May you find what you are searching for.” While thanking him, we feel our hands reaching out and pulling a book from one of the stacks. The book is called, “Let Them Laugh,” a curious book that is about all the people throughout history who have decided to try something new. Who’s in the book? Let’s see….the Wright Brothers, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Henry Ford, etc. People who were laughed at when they first presented their ideas. The Bistro, we are told, has many unique books….all of them answer questions. So, we bring our book back to the table, read a few chapters, and finish our meal.
As we are getting ready to leave, we ask for the check. The waiter gives us a grin and says, “The meal is on the house…on one condition…..that you come and visit us again.” Happily we reply, “The food here would make anyone want to return.” The waiter replies, “Here there is more to food than what you eat. The books, the music, the ambiance, are just as important as the meal.”

There is a door to The Bistro inside every one of us. All it takes is for us to turn the handle. After leaving The Bistro we realize that we had seen other doorways leading off to Houses of Worship, Libraries, Gardens, and Parks. Food for the Soul was at the bottom of the menu….oddly, we don’t truly realize how good the meal was until after we leave. We head home and decide to plan our next visit to The Bistro where, as you may guess, reservations are not needed. It is open to all.

The Bistro exists…..not in the physical world, but in our hearts and our Souls. Faith unlocks the door. Oh yes, and one more little tidbit…..under the sign on the doorway it says, “Proprietor, God.”