Years ago I went with a group of friends to see a production of “Les Miserables”. As we were leaving the theatre one of my friends said, “I’m so sad! I’ll never again be able to see this for the first time.” So true!

Has this ever happened to you: you’re anxious to see what happens next in the book you’re reading so you read too fast arriving at the ending realizing too late what a treasure you held in your hands and wishing you’d read it more slowly and savoured it?

I read one of my all-time favourite novels, “A Prayer for Owen Meaney” too quickly. I sorely regretted it when I got to the end. I knew it was too late to turn back and read this amazing book again for the first time, enjoying every detail of the brilliantly woven plot. I tried, waiting years between readings before picking it up again. It didn’t work.

Recently I discovered that one of my favourite authors, Ray Bradbury, has published two new books. I was ecstatic. I immediately ordered them online and resolved that when they arrived I would read the stories slowly, savouring them like a box of the finest dark chocolates. That got me thinking about my life. Shouldn’t I be savoring everything in my life in the way I plan to savor those books?

I’m beginning to think that what truly matters in life is not doing the dance of joy on a distant peak to celebrate a long hard climb, but simple things like leaving the house to go to the porch with your tea after your evening meal, talking with a friend about the complexities of life, or just sitting in silence, watching as the sun makes its gradual descent towards the horizon. These are the moments we savour when we look back on them. Too often, though, we “miss” them while they’re happening.

What little things do you savour well in your life? Do you have any small rituals you anticipate during your work day? What are the dark chocolate moments of your day?

photo credit: Lee McCoy