Savoring December

December starts this weekend. For me, December is a very special time of the year. I like to take a lot of time off work. Spending quality time with my family and reflecting and planning and thinking and savoring.

There is a typical list of things I do each year. Places we visit, books that I finally get to, movies we watch, stuff we cook, etc. I also work on my December Daily album every day. But this year, I want to be even more conscious of the way I spend my magical month (as I like to call it.)

I want to really savor the moments and make conscious choices about how to use my time. I want to make sure to spend all of it guilt-free. I want to have no expectations of getting anything “done.” I want to really be present with my family. Be mindful of my attitude, my words, my mood in general. I may or may not be able to have the luxury of taking a lot of December off next year (or any other time in the future.) But I do have it now and I want to savor all that comes with. I have two kids who are still young enough to love the magic of the holidays. I have a husband whose work setup allows him to take time off and be flexible as well. These are not things I want to take for granted.

I want to greet each day with joy and gratitude. And end each day feeling full and content. I want to live every single day. This doesn’t mean I fill them with things to do. It just means I am right here, right now in this moment, all day, every day. This is something I am going to focus on for all of 2013 and it’s related to my word for next year, but I want to adopt it even before we begin the new year.

I want to focus on not splitting my attention. Not thinking about other stuff while I am doing something. Not stressing over the urgent and neglecting the important. Not worrying about what might happen and missing the magic of what is, in the process.

Savoring is all about that. To truly make the most of this moment, I have to be present in it. I have to pay attention to it and really live it. That’s one of the reasons I do December Daily. Knowing that I will create a page about this day makes me pay better attention to it. Makes me not “waste” it. Helps me notice the small things alongside the big ones.

Life changes so often and so quickly. Sometimes in small ways, other times in much bigger ways. Many of these changes are not even in our control. So instead of trying to worry over or control the future, I want to make sure December is all about savoring this magical time and our luck of being able to spend it together and being healthy and safe.

These little memories and moments are the bread and butter of life, if you ask me. And they are not to be glossed over. They are not to be wasted. They are to be cherished.

Savored.