September 3, 2012 we were celebrating Dad’s 80th birthday, he finally opened his oldest bottle of wine for the momentous occasion. It was a 1970 Château Mouton Rothschild, a red bordeaux blend that is full-bodied rich in opulence. Aged 42 years, ah the answer to the universe, it should be perfection. I’m not quite sure when Dad appropriated it, but this wine was well traveled having been stored in our cellar in NY and then OH and then to FL, always in climate controlled storage and always waiting for the right moment.
My parents, niece, brother, and close family friends were gathered around the table, glass in hand. Anticipation….aerating through the Vinturi, eagerly awaiting notes of tobacco, cedar, sour cherry in this big wine.
The color looked good, deep garnet. I swirled it in my glass. The nose? I’m not an officiando so I can’t speak to this. The taste unfortunately, it was long gone and there were lots of looks of disappointment.
Why is it that we hold onto things to enjoy them for holidays or special occasions? I did the same with a bottle of Sauterne I received for my 40th birthday, which was in my refrigerator until I found someone worthy enough to share it with me. Same result as the fated Rothschild, less than optimal, less enjoyable, and barely drinkable.
We all do this, whether it be the lingerie in our drawer, the holiday crystal, or the fancy china. We even have special rooms in our homes to be used for special occasions like the formal dining room and in my case the “looking room” ie: the place my kids were forbidden to enter so I could keep my company ready furniture in pristine condition. The cat ended up destroying it anyway.
People often raise an eyebrow at my early retirement and usually respond with “But you are so young”. I was 50 at the time, and for the FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) movement that’s in the middle of the road, most people I have met FIRE’d in their 40s or earlier. “Good things come to those who wait.” Must we wait? Why wait until the Autumn or Winter of our lives for retirement, the point of life where our body and mind start to betray us. Dare we risk losing valuable time? Why not do it while we are young, vibrant, and healthy? I often use my sister Bonnie as my example and inspiration to travel the world. At 51 she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and was gone a couple of months after her 56th birthday, those years in between were surgeries and chemo treatments, so not the optimal quality of life we wish and hope for.
Your life began at birth, not at age 18, 21, 30, 40, or when the kids go to college, or when your parents die….stop waiting and start living. And if you are going to live anyway why not Live Life Abundantly?
No time like the present to drink that wine, cheers and to your health!
Romantic Roads 
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