Smell the roses

I like the word "savor." It's my word for 2012, the one I keep in front of me as often as possible so I can be intentional about it. Among its Merriam-Webster definitions are: "to taste or smell with pleasure" and "to delight in."

"With pleasure." "Delight." Ah, yes, that invokes joy inside me. I'm discovering many ways to savor this year. I savor time with those I love. I savor my connections with family and friends. I savor sunny and mild autumn days, replete with trees garbed in various hues of red, orange, yellow and gold—days such as we just enjoyed this past weekend (at least here in Illinois). I savor the tastes and textures of my food. I savor the scent of my new brown sugar and fig body wash. I savor time in my glider with my coffee most mornings; I didn't have much of that when I worked outside my home full-time.

So many things to enjoy, to savor. Do I take time to do this all the time? I wish I could say "Yes, I do." It wouldn't be true, though. Some days I rush through life, not much noticing what's around me. More and more, however, I want to "smell the roses." I want to savor what's around me. I want to live life awake and aware rather than sleepwalking through it.

We all have times in our life when all we can do is put one foot in front of the other and keep going. Insofar as it's possible for you, however, I encourage you to slow down just enough so you can notice what's around you. Notice yourself, too: your body, your feelings, your thoughts. Be present for your life. And take the time to enjoy the sights, sounds, tastes, scents—and the beauty all around you.

Savor. It's a good word. I may just have to keep it as my word for 2013, too.