savor

Savor: to taste, or experience, and enjoy completely. What a velvety word. It conjures up pure pleasure.

As we head into Thanksgiving week we enter the season of pleasure vs. chaos. There will be so many moments of pure pleasure and so many moments of general chaos that is so loud/busy/overwhelming that it can take the pleasure right out of the moment. This week when we center our activities around giving thanks (and food) how can we find focus, and center our attention on savoring moments, instead of whirling about in the chaos?

What does it look like to savor something? Just the word itself feels luxurious. It brings to mind eyes closed, something delectable melting on the tongue, and enjoying each sense that is being tickled. Being wholly present in the moment with the sensations.

To savor something is the opposite of what our usual days hold as we get caught up in the day to day rushing from this thing to that .

Because savoring something is a treat to ourselves it takes intentionality. What things can we purposefully enjoy as we are gathering together? What things can we savor as we are alone? What can we savor so as to become more aware of the beauty within our lives and perhaps bring some slowing down into the season?

There are so many things that I enjoy doing; things that I appreciate and notice. But do I savor the moments when involved?

These are my top seven things that I enjoy most in life (family not included because they are not a thing): Movement; music, food, nature, art, written words, quiet (those who know me know that is not in order of importance). Using myself as an example, how can I savor those things? Let’s take written words: I am an avid reader, occasional writer, and lover of written words. You write me a love note and I’m a goner. To taste and fully enjoy words, they have to cause a reaction within me. I can be reading along and then all of a sudden a line will literally jump off of the page and grab me, I will read it again and I always say “ewww, that’s good.” I let it roll around, touch my feelers, enjoy what it brings up, no matter what emotion that may be, and then put it to memory.

Food is much the same way. I love to cook. Every single step. Please do not help me, I am enjoying chopping, mixing, sautéing, seasoning, watching, waiting, and serving. But I can rush through each of those steps and even the eating part can be just another chore to get through. Without intentionality and being present in each bite, a meal can be prepared, eaten, and cleaned up without even recognizing if you appreciated it or not. But if you put that bite of food slowly on your tongue, notice taste, texture, temperature, and spice before swallowing then the slow savor begins. How nice. That’s pleasure. That’s luxury. That’s velvet right there.

I’m not suggesting you be a weirdo at the Thanksgiving table; however, if you do sit at your table calmly enjoying your food with your eyes closed and a sweet secretive smile on your face, some of the guests will want what you are having.

What I am suggesting is that we just slow down and recognize what it is we actually enjoy and do that. May this season be truly one of Thanks Giving. One where you are doing what you like and taking the time to savor it.

Happy Thanksgiving.