b'The fireplace was ablaze beside me. I took another sip from my glass, waiting for the rye to dampen the endless churning in my brain.I was in a tight spot. Again. My meeting with investors had not gone that well. But today wasn\'t going to be the day to talk about it. Instead, I took another big sip of rye, but it didn\'t help."Awesome! The fireplace is on, Nanci said as she came through the front door, dripping water from her umbrella. Oh God! Did you see the rain outside? Let me get a glass of wine. I\'ll join you.She was laughing out loud. That\'s Nanci. She settled in beside me, glass of wine in hand. "You know that guy in the window with the helmet; he looks like you, she began. Oh, did I tell you I saw Judy at the market? Also, you know that color of that flower that I like, for the guest bedroom? Well, let me tell you.From there, she took off like a Ferrari on the freeway. That\'s Nanci.Taking a contemplative sip of my rye, I sat there frozen. I was enchanted. I could not believe this woman was my wife. I got lost in her eyes. I marveled at the way her lower lip curls when she\'s enthusiastic about something.As the sun continued its nightly descent below the horizon, it had started to rain harder. Maybe it was the rye; or perhaps it was the moment, or a mix of both, but in an instant, I was reminded of our first one-bedroom apartment. That was putting it kindly; it was more like a studio.We used to fantasize about the exact moment we were experiencing by the fireplace."Do you remember.?" She put a finger up to my lips to keep me from finishing my thought, as if doing so might ruin the moment. But she was smiling. That\'s Nanci."I was thinking about the same thing," she said after savoring a sip of wine.I held her close; we sat in silence, admiring the final glimmer of daylight as the sun finished its slow descent in the distance. The rain continued pounding, louder and louder, almost drowning out the crackling fire throwing off its heat from the fireplace.I wanted to thank the man who built our home. I wanted to let him know that his beautiful, ornate bay window medallion inspired me to make the best of choices in remodeling of this houseour home. The original builder\'s decision to include this vibrant arrangement of kaleidoscopic glass was the basis from which we made our choicesmore than just the window size, the expansive view of the garden or the shades of paint on our walls. These seemingly trivial choices were the basis of a much bigger and better dream both Nanci and I had envisioned some years agoa dream we began making real despite the swirling and endless fear and uncertainty.That evening, in the glow of the fireplace, I pulled Nanci closer to me, took another sip of rye, savoring its warmth. The medallion in the window inspired a great moment. This time, I was present and accepting. I couldn\'t help but think of how proud my dad would have been. I had finally learned my lesson.Some people focus on all that is wrong. They allow fears to steal a moment in your grasp. Sometimes, magic happens, but you\'re too busy worrying about what comes next. To that I say, when your dreams are handed to you all packaged and nicely gift wrapped, try to work through your fears and pay attention. Enjoy your moment. Focus on your medallion. Life is beautiful!9'