Kyle trying to steal Will's sushi!

I remember the first time I tried sushi. I was living in Los Angeles and the sushi craze was just beginning. It must have been in the early 1980's. God that sounds like such a long time ago. I remember sitting at a Japanese restaurant in West Hollywood and having a friend explain to me how you use the beautiful tiny bowl to mix together the ginger and the wasabi in a bath of soy sauce. I remember talking my chop sticks and picking up a piece of raw tuna and immersing it in the soy sauce concoction I had just created. I was terrified. Could I actually put this piece of Raw fish into my mouth and swallow?

Finally, I found the courage to eat my first piece of sushi and to my amazement, I didn't hate it. I remember thinking that it wasn't bad, but it really wasn't that good either. My sophisticated friend assured me that you develop a taste for sushi and promised that I soon would be craving the wonderful Japanese delicacy.

Well, she was right. Now I love sushi

I have to laugh remembering my first exploits with this exotic food. My young son, Will has now discovered sushi. And like his mother has developed a strong addiction.

Kyle and I picked up some sushi at the market on the way home from school today. Both Kyle and I quickly undid the lid, mixed the soy sauce with the wasabi and ginger and ate away. We were finished when Will asked me where I kept the place mats.

I walked into his room, and there he sat at his desk with a fine white china plate and a small Japanese dish. His sushi had been arranged on his plate and the dipping sauce had been perfectly blended with the right amount of ginger and wasabi. He found a pair of nice chopsticks and placed a mat underneath his plate. He was going to enjoy his after school treat.

I walked into his room and immediately called for Kyle to take a look. Both of us were jealous. We had scarfed down our treat way too fast to really enjoy it. And here Will was just beginning to enjoy his feast. His eyes told me that his taste buds were ready for the arrival of the wonderful taste of sweet and salty.

It made me think that while I am busy rushing through life, what exactly am I missing?

And then it hit me. Watching Will enjoy his bite of raw fish I realized that I need to slow down and enjoy the moments I have with my children. I need to take a breath and watch, and listen, and learn.

I am so busy worrying that I have forgotten to remember to stay put! It is in those moment that true creativity and true peace can be found.

So, next time I buy myself some sushi I am going to set the table nicely. I am going to place the colorful pieces properly on my plate. I am going to take the time to find the right chop sticks. And I am going to think about Will and smile.