NINE O’CLOCK IS NOW WINE O’CLOCK
My mother is the humorist amongst us. She says the wittiest things always. She is the life of every gathering, and everyone looks forward to her one liner.
The last few days have been tough on our family as she suffered a mild heart attack and had to be hospitalized. Not a complainer, all she told her well-wishers was that her heart had skipped a beat and that she was in the hospital to tune it but would soon be ready to rock-n-roll.
The day she was to be discharged was like a mini- celebration in the hospital. She had endeared herself to one and all and she was being sent off with gifts and cheers. All that was missing was a celebratory band! She received a variety of gifts ranging from books, DVD’S, chocolates and wine. Personally, I thought a patient receiving wine was not appropriate, but before I could even open my mouth to comment my mother who can read my expressions like a book looked me squarely in the eye and took off on the benefits of drinking wine .On and on she went enumerating the health benefits of drinking wine in moderation, to a point where even the head nurse was nodding her head in affirmation. Wow! if all that she said was true then wine should be declared as the national drink!
In a brief span of a few minutes, she enlisted the benefits of wine as
Red wine is high in Resveratrol, a substance which boosts heart health.
Drinking red wine protects against some forms of cancer.
Red Wine reduces blood pressure.
Red wine is also known to protect the brain from stroke damage.
Though regular consumption of most alcoholic drinks increases the risk of breast cancer but drinking red wine in moderation spares women this risk.
The anti-oxidant present in Resveratrol helps treat acne, so combining it with Benzoyl Peroxide and applying it directly to the face maximized anti-bacterial activity. [Though this ma felt was a dreadful waste of perfectly good wine]
I too returned home enlightened and was impressed with my mother’s knowledge on the benefits of drinking wine. Though popping a Champagne bottle continues to be our celebratory style, we have started savoring wine regularly too. Ma in her regular exuberant self has designated nine o’clock as wine o’clock as she along with dad customarily enjoys her daily dose. I have added to her daily experience by gifting her a compact and well-designed wine set for efficient and effortless opening of her favorite bottle. She grudgingly praises me for my choice in gifts which otherwise she always termed as borderline pathetic.