Savor Waiting, Practice It
In order for me to savor waiting, I need to practice it. I often get impatient, annoyed, or start adding to my to-do list in my head. Yes, seconds and minutes matter. But I want them to matter more in a calming and appreciative way.
“Savor waiting” is a practice suggestion from Grateful Living:
Turn all of the “waiting” moments of the day into moments of heightened awareness. Try to
be fully present in these moments to discover what might be blessings in disguise. Notice that
the time between things is a gift, akin to the “holy time” that Carrie Newcomer describes in
her essay. How might you enjoy this gift?
I put this in to practice the other day, as I tried to efficiently grab a few items at Walmart and hit the “express self-check.” It clearly wasn’t moving at express pace. I had a brief “aargh” moment. Then I remembered “savor waiting.” I noticed parents with two young children trying to check out and keep them in check. I noticed one woman helping an older lady, maybe her mom, with several items. The older lady was right in there doing some scanning too. And across the way, a man was doing his best to get his items scanned. All of these folks were there for the same reason I was. They were taking care of each other and what was needed for the next days or weeks. I settled in and smiled as I waited.
A few other opportunities to practice and savor waiting in recent days have included:
*Waiting more in conversations with others. Waiting to speak or to not speak at all and really listen. I learn more by listening to others than I do by talking. It also reminds me of the acronym WAIT: Why am I talking? This is useful in a wide variety of situations and circumstances.
* I was sitting on our front porch, noticed some movement, and saw a mouse which appears to have made a home (with others I am sure) in a small crevice in our bricks. It came dashing out, saw me and stopped. We eyed each other for a bit, it ran back to the hole it had come out of, looked out at me for a few more moments, then retreated. Not that I welcome mice near our home, but I sure found this little encounter with another living creature to be worth it. We waited each other out and both stayed safe and calm. We each matter.
*Another morning I stepped out of our front door to take Oliver for his walk and disturbed a cardinal that was singing nearby. It found a new perch, and I knew if I waited a few seconds it would start singing again. It did, and I savored listening. I never tire of seeing and hearing cardinals, but I don’t always give them my full attention.
*On a bike ride yesterday morning, I took the two pictures below as I waited for the sun to make it’s appearance in new ways through the trees.
Savor waiting. Savor today and life. Savor gratefulness.
Have a good day! I will be back posting in a week.
