I had a two-week out-of-town excursion planned, for my reasons I cancelled it. Instead, I took time off from work, as I had already scheduled to do, but I lingered.

I lingered over coffee until it got cold.

I lingered over my body until it healed.

I lingered over my thoughts until I wasn’t thinking.

I lingered  over seed catalogs

I lingered over a book till the end.

I lingered in my bath

I lingered in my bed

I lingered over time

I lingered in my space.

I lingered to resist

I didn’t spend money. I didn’t consume. I didn’t go at breakneck speed. I just lingered. And I lingered as a form of resistance, though I didn’t know it at the time.

I lingered beyond time to go.

I lingered over my finances and relived my year.

Lingering has many connotations. Of course, attitude is everything, but words are powerful. How we talk to ourselves is  how we look at our lives. 

And so I lingered over my life, knowing that at any moment, it could be over. That this is it. I lingered and paid attention.

And when you linger, you get the opportunity to do that.