A friend and I recently visited the de Young Museum in San Francisco to see the “Monet in Venice” exhibit. As always, Monet’s art touched something inside me. This day was no exception. Maybe because I’m focused on savoring my life, I noticed things I hadn’t before.
The curator’s notes discussed Monet’s “enveloppe” concept of painting. As Monet himself put it:
Monet recognized that the object isn’t where the aliveness is — it’s in the envelope around it: the way the light enters, the temperature of the air, the vapor, even the reflection of light on water. Throughout his lifetime, he painted the same objects dozens of times — his famous water lilies, the same cathedral, the same haystacks. The envelope kept changing even when the object didn’t. Each painting was unique, proof that nothing he painted was ever really the same twice, even when it looked identical on the surface.
Savoring our own lives isn’t about focusing on the experience itself — it’s about noticing what’s happening in the “envelope” surrounding it. Take an everyday experience in your life — the same porch, the same first cup of coffee, a meal with a friend. Notice what makes it new and different as you pay attention to what surrounds you. What is the light doing? How does the air feel on your skin? What sounds are below the obvious sound? How does the environment feel at this moment? I think you’ll feel the experience differently and more deeply.
I’m learning savoring is about taking time and attention to notice the many dimensions surrounding what I already have in my life, and how I feel about it. It’s not about the most experiences or the most stuff.
This summer I’m sharing my own experiences on “savoring” my life through my senses — reducing screen time and spending more time in real life. Writing, gardening, enjoying family and friends, and staying intentionally focused on what’s important to me.
