All Day Darling

This morning I’m still dreamy-eyed about the Buddha Bowl I ate recently at “All Day Darling” in Asheville on Montford Street. Oh, and the Miel Latte, too. (Espresso, honey, allspice, salt and steamed milk.) Goodness — way dreamy.

If I lived next door to All Day Darling, I might be tempted to give up cooking altogether. OK, probably not, but the food is delicious and not what I would readily prepare myself.

While my friend, Janet, and I talked about all things life-affirming, challenging, and just plain funny, the sun poured on our little corner of the restaurant, turning the conversation especially warm and golden. We appreciated the bright day, given so many gray skies lately, and thoroughly enjoyed the chance to catch up in both a deep, and delicious way.

Since then, I’ve been thinking about the food, yes, but also the name of the restaurant. I’ve noticed that saying “All Day Darling” to myself causes an inner smile and produces happy energy. I daresay the very name itself encourages lighthearted thinking.

By the way, the “all day” part of the name refers to serving every item on the menu all day. But the “darling” part — does it refer to the food, the people who work there — or is it that customers become more darling after they eat? Probably a dash of each.

So, you know me, I pondered …

What if you and I followed the pleasure trend of this wonderful food establishment? What if we became all-day-darling ourselves — what would it mean?

Would we be more darling to ourselves? To others? What menu items would we serve all day?

Yesterday, in favor of experimenting, I served “gentle” all day. Especially in the smallest, most fleeting moments, such as taking the effort out of reaching for a dish on a high shelf or noticing my breath as I drove.

For me personally, the darling idea means generous helpings of kindness. It means letting movement, thought, and feeling unfold in gentler, freer ways. Those are important ingredients in my dish called darling.

I took time to call someone I’ve been thinking about. I wrote a thank you and sent it by mail along with a gift. I took a walk outside, and did absolutely no thinking. I was truly empty-headed, and it felt great.

I also cozied up to my to-do list, which might sound strange when it comes to being more darling, but here’s what happens with me and my list. My tendency is to leave small items undone. These days, I tend to gravitate to chunky projects, such as finishing my second book, and the rest waits — too long.

But yesterday I gave it a go. I chose a couple simple items and took care of them, which felt downright darling! I also took a short nap. Super darling.

Want to play with this all-day-darling idea with me? I’d love to hear your darling stories. Can’t wait!

all day darling, In Care of Relationships, Terri Crosby

Comments (8)

  • Yum-Yum….will go there next time in Asheville!! I find there’s something so satisfying in a primal, even healing sort of way in eating a meal in a bowl. I prepare most of my meals that way….which may be more of a physical factor than of the spiritual realm…as in “easy for me”–fewer dishes to wash, easy to hold one bowl while watching Netflix, et cetera….(teehee)
    Thanks for a beautifully darling post…xoxo

  • I love the idea of treating myself as Darling. So tender and loving. I know what you mean in doing one small thing on my to do list. I cleaned my blinds – it’s been on my list for awhile. Boy did it feel good!

    I’m going to give myself some Darling time today… I wonder what will happen…

  • A few weeks ago a friend of mine told me that she was being mindful of loving extravagantly. Now I am also thinking of spending my love extravagantly in my interactions with others. Love is abundant and is only unavailable when I cut myself off from it.

  • That restaurant has been on my radar since Kathy went there and told me about the makeover of Todds into All Day Darling.

    My Darling Day always includes Fun and saying Yes.

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