By Dr. Bruce Smith ——Bio and Archives--May 1, 2024
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Concern for the too-rapid passage of time may be allayed by a little exercise designed to help us notice the present moment and linger in it. We can make the effort to appreciate simple things, enjoying them in spite of the cacophony of our daily lives.
It only requires the few seconds it takes for a deep breath or a little pause to observe the steam above the tea cup. Here are some occasions to savor.
Hearing wind in the trees.
Recognizing a bird’s song among the morning chorus.
Spooning a dish of ice cream with a friend on a hot day.
Sipping the morning’s first cup of coffee when it’s made just right.
Watching the fire’s dance in the stove any time of day.
Hearing a child’s infectious laughter.
Sharing a poignant moment in a movie when it brings tears or smiles.
Making someone laugh.
A drive in the countryside after April showers.
The scent of fresh Lily of the Valley after a year’s wait.
Being somewhere with deafening quiet.
A vase of fresh-cut pastel tulips.
Children playing together.
Singing a favorite song with someone you love, and knowing the words.
Getting a good joke at the same time.
Enjoying a favorite chocolate.
Reading a passage in a book that describes something you’ve experienced but have never been able to articulate.
Hearing a song that makes you cry when it takes you back in time.
Remembering to realize that we are here in this good place, a place that is good for right now.
When insight dawns on us. We could do worse than the way we have it today.
When we appreciate where we are no longer. We have done worse in the past a time or two.
Realizing how lucky we are to have found each other again after all those years.
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Take time to savor the written word. Pull down a favorite Jane Austen. Read the 13th chapter of I Corinthians and savor Paul’s lyrical language. Let Hemingway narrate the intimate conversations of Frederic and Catherine in the chalet above the lake in A Farewell To Arms.
Realizing how lucky we are to have been together all these years
Resolving that we will strive to make tomorrow even better.
Pledging that we must not let anyone spoil our imperfect bliss in this moment. We earned it with our tears and pain.
Hearing a perfect resolution with the final chord of a composition.
Reading a passage that puts the reader at the scene of the book’s action, as Catton takes us to the carnage of The Cornfield or the quiet of Appomattox.
Savoring the moment can become a daily or weekly goal. It can brighten any day and bring a glow to one’s heart.
If it has been a hectic day with nothing but harried action, then savor a day in the past. Select a memory and set it in the golden hour. Then savor it until sleep creeps in again.
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Dr. Bruce Smith (Inkwell, Hearth and Plow) is a retired professor of history and a lifelong observer of politics and world events. He holds degrees from Indiana University and the University of Notre Dame. In addition to writing, he works as a caretaker and handyman. His non-fiction book The War Comes to Plum Street, about daily life in the 1930s and during World War II, may be ordered from Indiana University Press.