A few of “Richard’s ingredients for a good life” in no particular order and with scant explanations:

Coffee. Fresh, hot, with cream and a little sugar. To be consumed either in my leather chair in the morning, my princess on the floor playing with Lego blocks and my wife rocking in her chair, or at my DBC, doing a little research as the anticipation of heading home builds within me.

Anticipation: It is the moment before the action that is most exquisite. The half-second before lips touch in a kiss, the soccer ball on its course before entering goal, the sliver of light as the front door of a loved one, a friend or family member whom you have not seen in ages, opens to you. When you smell the wine and it is traveling from glass to tongue, when you turn to the last page of the book, awaiting the starting and satisfying dénouement, these are the moments of joy. They are joyful because they offer unlimited promise mixed with fleeting uncertainty, and therefore are illusory.

Books. Of course.

Family. My favorite line from any movie comes from the Godfather. Having promised to provide justice to a client, Don Corleone gives the following advice, words that have become a creed for me: “Do you spend time with your family? Good, because a man who doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man.”

Music. Beethoven for the heart, Bach for the mind, Vivaldi for sunny days and Chopin for rain.

Art. From Ketelhut to Renoir, music for the eyes.

To be continued…