It's Shabbos Now

It's been a long, trying day. Plenty of things to do, lots of running around... trying to stay awake... and just keeping going. No stopping.
The night settles in... everything calms down, if only for a bit. There is still so much to do. But... I want to relax....
And then, a most gentle, fragrant and warming scent begins to permeate the air. It's soft, sweet, succulent, and makes me salivate. Suddenly, there is a heavy hunger in my stomach where there wasn't one before. I inhale deeply, letting the rich aroma wave around in my nostrils. It is so heavenly, I can feel a lift, an elation. My mood has changed, my mind set is so much lighter.
Despite my efforts to detail the beauty of this scent, my words could never do justice. It must be experienced on an individual level... a personal indulgence, only momentary, but enough to understand the incredible scent I wish to convey...
True.... I am referring to food. But it is food on a different level. A different level entirely. It is a scent that is combined with the anticipation of the day to come... a day that in and of itself has its own soul-lifting scent. It fills the air... and while we may try to speak of it, describe it or convey it, it must be experienced to be fully enjoyed.
Shabbos is not just words that we express. It is a life changing time. It is the cement of who we are-- what holds us together. And oh! How pleasant it is! It lifts us, molds us! It enables us to be better people, to better appreciate all that we are given. Shabbos settles in and suddenly, we feel different... on a high... and in fact, we are. We are in the upper realms, reconnecting with Hashem. And up there, is the most heavenly aroma we could ever enjoy... And while we are not there yet, we have a piece of it down here. It comes every week. It nourishes our souls.
It's Shabbos.