Notice, Savor, Share
It's a new year, and there is so much amazement that awaits us — if we pay attention.
In the days leading up to Christmas, I listened to an interview with David Sedaris. His "Santaland Diaries" is a classic. If you've never read or listened to his work, you're in for a treat.
I often wonder how someone like Sedaris does it. How does he have so much material?
Now, Sedaris is hilarious. But he also pays attention.
Most of us are not as funny as David Sedaris, but many beautiful, ridiculous, and touching moments happen in our lives, too. But we often don't pay attention. We fail to savor the experiences and later forget they even happened.
The poet Mary Oliver wrote that "attention is the beginning of devotion."
I'm generally not a New Year's resolution kind of guy. I prefer a Lenten fast. Still, this year I hope to "guard the margins." Just as margins on a page help us take in what it is we're reading, unfilled "margins" in our day help us notice what is going on in our lives.
It's going to be a good year.