The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it.
- Richard David Bach
Richard David Bach’s quote — “The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it.” — is a reminder that life’s most precious experiences ask nothing from us except our presence.
We often feel pressured to do something with a good moment: capture it, share it, analyze it, or hold onto it so tightly that we forget to actually feel it. But Bach suggests that true appreciation requires no repayment, no performance, and no attempt to preserve the moment forever. The moment itself is the gift — and our full enjoyment is the only “payment” it needs.
When we truly enjoy a moment, we give it our complete attention. We stop worrying about what came before or what comes next. We stop thinking about how long the moment will last. Instead, we step into the experience fully — the laughter, the peace, the beauty, the connection. In doing so, we honor it.
The quote is also a gentle nudge against rushing through life. Lovely moments are often fragile and fleeting: a conversation that warms your heart, a sunrise that catches you by surprise, a quiet evening that feels just right. We cannot hold onto them forever, but we can let them fill us while they last.
Ultimately, Bach is teaching a simple but profound truth:
The true cost of a beautiful moment is your presence.
To enjoy it — fully, openly, gratefully — is not only enough, it is the greatest form of appreciation you can give.