I don’t really do the #oneword thing. I mean I think about it and naturally, a word seems to emerge but not with the same intention as many. In the past, I’ve used and focused on things like joy and delight and those words last much longer than a year. They stick and become part of my personal and professional persona.
This year I do have a word that has been emerging over the past few months so perhaps there’s value in documenting and recording it. So my sorta #oneword for 2023 is savour or savor for those who have an aversion to the letter u.
Savour, as in “to relish for an extended time” is for me about slowing down and being mindful.
I want to savour the food I eat. As I eat better, part of that work is to savour and be mindful of what I eat. Being a little more French and making eating an event even when it really isn’t an event is something that might improve my relationship with food and avoid those occasions where we squeeze food into our busy schedules.
I want to savour the time I spend with my grandkids. If you know me at all, you know that my three grandkids are a big part of my world. While I’m blessed to live in the same city and get to spend as much time as I want, I also know it won’t be like this for long. The youngest is approaching 2 and in a few years, they’ll all be in school and will be leading their own lives full of activities and friends. I don’t want to take any moments for granted. Even those where they cry or act their age. This is a magical time in a person’s life and I want to get all I can out of it.
I want to savour my golf. Golf is almost a spiritual experience for me. Being outdoors and being with friends and working on my game are all things that I truly love. Golf is such a metaphor for life in that it brings up a lot of feelings and highs and lows in a few hours. Embracing all of it is something I’m pretty good at already but want to continue to pursue.
I want to savour my travels. My wife and I travelled over Christmas and like everyone else had our delays and cancellations. But rather than focusing on that, we think of our time away as a gift. Seeing the world means accepting that it’s not always easy but that the literal journey is part of it.
I want to savour my weekends. While I’ve been working remotely for over a decade, Not until the pandemic was I truly a 40-hour week in front of a computer guy. Previously I travelled so much that when I was home it was rarely a full week so it didn’t feel quite so mundane. Since 2022, I noticed how much more I looked forward to the weekend. Detaching from work has been so important. At times, I still feel the urge to do a little work but for the most part, I’ve resisted. I want to continue to see weekends as a time to rest and rejuvenate.
I want to savour work. At 58, I’m often asked and ask myself about retirement. I’m not ready and not sure when I will be but I don’t envision retirement will be something I do to avoid work. I do enjoy what I do. I will say that in the past few years spending less time in person with people has been difficult. The administrative part of my work can be a challenge because you don’t always have the immediate feedback of time spent with people provides. But I also know one day I’ll miss it all.
I want to savour time alone. I love my wife and family and friends but I do like my time alone. Whether that’s a walk or the occasional solo round of golf or travelling, my alone time is my time to reflect, meditate, pray and just be still. Being present and enjoying the quiet can be restful and life giving.
Savouring will be something that I’ll need to remind myself often to remember. While it sounds good in theory, it’s often difficult to practice. But it is about mindfulness and relishing all that it means to be human.