In July, my aunt Hilde left her body. After suffering from a brief illness, she left us to be with the Lord forever. During her life, she carried a beautiful joy for many things: music and singing, delicious food, travel, writing and reading, fashion, and for her service as a nurse, service she fulfilled for nearly 50 years. She lived with a true “zest for life,” as my mother calls it; she loved celebrations and gatherings, and had so many amazing experiences during her lifetime.

I was sitting in the park thinking about her, as I looked upon the horizon, where the sun was setting in a gorgeous array of colors. I thought about how our souls are given this bodily vessel and how to have that experience is a blessing. We tend to lose our awareness that it is a gift to dwell in a body, even if that body has aches and pains or things we might wish to change.

It’s through our body that we can be with one another in the flesh, embrace one another, and take care of one another. We can taste the bright sweetness of a tangerine or the sharp refreshment of peppermint candy. We can smell the earthy scent of grass and the comfort of our favorite perfume, fresh laundry, just fallen rain. We can hear the voices of the ones we love, and the sounds of the music that uplifts our heart. We can enjoy the colors of that dazzling sunset or watch our favorite show, through the gift of sight.

The physical enjoyment of life is one the deepest blessings and joys at the ground of our being. It’s even harder for us to grasp and remember that now, as we live in a time where most of us live at the level of our devices and computers the majority of the time, divorced from our physical being and from the present moment. There’s so much we miss out on when we live this way.

I’m writing this note to lift up the practice of savoring as a foundational practice for a well-lived life.

My Aunt Hilde was someone who savored, even in the midst of challenge. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, to savor is “to enjoy food or an experience slowly, in order to appreciate it as much as possible.” The Berkeley Well-Being Institute defines it as “to fully feel, enjoy, and extend our positive experiences.”

Savoring is intentional, and we have to allow ourselves to do it.

Savoring is a way to experience joy and contentment through even the mundane things in your life. You can savor your morning coffee, or your nightly cup of chamomile tea.

Savoring happens when we use our senses with gratitude for the experience of having a physical body that is endowed with all of these capabilities for taking in beauty and wonder.

For me, savoring is also a practice that helps me navigate grief. In the loss of my aunt, I have been savoring on her behalf: enjoying simple pleasures in remembrance of her. It helps me experience gratitude for the gift of life, and for her life, which she lived fully.

I will not waste even a moment of what I’ve been given. I will savor. I will be grateful. I will fully live.

What can you savor today? What can you savor in this moment, right where you are as you read this? What makes you glad to be alive? Can you make more space for it in your daily life?

With great awe,
Tiffany