Saver or Savor?

"I save them because I want to savor them!"

It recently dawned on me that these two words that sound very similary are indeed very similar.

A person who would be deemed a "saver" is some one who likes to hold on to things. Maybe, "save them for later" or put away as a "keep sake"... any of this ringing a bell to you?

A person who likes to "savor" is some one who likes to hold on to a taste, moment or feeling and let it linger so that they can experience it for as long as possible.

A few examples of the two...

Example 1. My mom, my mom is the best "savorer" in the world. I remember when I was little I would watch her eat ice cream and she can make one spoon full go a longggg way. She is also always the last to finish her dinner... why? Because she, unlike the rest of us, actually wants to taste each bite on it's way down. She wants to soak up every spice and juice on her plate and when she is done there is nothing worth tasting left on that plate. When I was younger I didn't understand this at all because my goal was always to secretly see if I could be the first one done with my food.. I knew I was a champion when I could even beat dad through a meal. I still eat mostly what I want but there are a few things that I will not rush through now a days because you never know when that guilty pleasure will be allowed again. Examples to follow...

Example 2. My mom is also a great "saver". I remember one day I found a cabinet where she had kept art projects and the like and I'm pretty sure they dated back to kindergarden! Even this Christmas my mom had up my sister and I's white doves that we made out of clothes pins and spray painted in Elementary school. Pretty sturdy birds if you ask me! If you still don't believe me just go to the house... count the number of coffee cups and pieces of furniture and you will be convinced for sure! My mom is a saver- and we love her for it (and many other things!)

Example 3. I myself am a saver. When I get money or gift cards I might go and peruse the isles of the local stores but it is rare that I will buy something on the first go. I usually look and if it's super nifty I will try it on, but I always put it back on the rack. "I need to think about it" If I really want it, it will come to me at odd hours of the day and night and then I will know that that is a worthy purchase. I will keep Christmas money and birthday money until late Spring knowing that I will desire spring and summer clothes more than winter clothes and that there will be no more Christmases and birthdays left to supply that demand.
Also, when I get something that I really enjoy such as a DP or vitamin water I don't chug it down right away..oh no no no. I let it linger. If I am really thirsty I'll drink water with it. I am not going to waste a $1.39 in five minutes. If I only drink a 3rd of it then I can have the wonderful experience of vitamin water for three days instead of one. When I eat popcorn, I want to eat it one kernal at a time. This is mostly due to the fact that I got my hand slapped once by my dad for shovelling popcorn. My little sister and I would get in a frenzy eating faster and faster trying to get more popcorn than the other afraid that with each bite the other sister would render the bowl empty! So my dad made us eat it one kernal at a time with the promise of making more if we wanted it later. So now it drives me up the wall when people don't eat it one at a time... point and case (I don't care if you think that phrase is backwards... obviously you have to make a really great point to end the case!) my husband will grab handfuls of popcorn and half the bag is gone. He doesn't eat one jelly bean at a time... no no... a whole handful... that's five individual experiences down the drain! Also, when he takes a sip... it's a whole serving of my drink... that could've lasted me a day! So many a time I have gawked at this fact and have come to understand that alas, my way isn't always the absolutely right way. It is probably the better way.. haha.. but I get over it. Plus, he's so cute who could care about a little thing like that? right....? The real deal is, it's teaching me to consider him better than myself. And I have to say, I am a food scarfer... I haven't gotten that savor thing quite to a T just yet! But there are times when I get something special like thin mint cookies (which I still have one left from a box at christmas) or anything else chocolate and I will wait for the perfect moment to eat it, for the perfect craving and then I will eat it slow. With the thin mints I would only eat one at a time and days apart to make them last. Silly, but hey we have a budget people!

Example 4. my little sister. My sister NEVER spends HER OWN money! She played my parent's wallets for years! She would ask for money to go here or there and they'd give it to her b/c she didn't have a job or anything... little did they know the chunk she had in the bank or hidden in some remote place in the closet only to be found yeeeeaaarrrrrssss later!
To this day she or I will be cleaning her room and find a hundred dollars in quarters and fifty dollars in ones and a twenty here or there in a random pocket or nook. I will give her credit though, she pays for a lot of her own stuff now.. she is growing up beautifully! And she was always generous to her big sister, especially when I was broke!

Then you have your typical non savers who are typically men but hey they have their strong points! My husband saved us loads and loads of loading and unloading by helping me pack up my house in college station. I would say "what should I do with this" and he'd say "throw it away" and it was like I needed permission or something and so I would. I donated over HALF my closet to good will and threw away papers and things from HIGH SCHOOL. There are still more things to get rid of I'm sure but it's nice to have some one to walk around behind you unstuffing drawers and throwing that junk away... you won't remember... I don't! Also, it's nice when my husband scarfs down his food because it means he likes it. I would hate for him to eat little bites or push his food around on the plate... that is never a good sign. And the faster he eats that candy lying around the house the faster it is not a temptation to me anymore!

So I guess that's one of those reasons why God made us different... to save our closets and cabinets from over stuff-ation and yet to have enough memories to pass down to your kids. It makes one person really care about how the food tastes, which usually means the other person will like it too. It keeps us from going over budget and prevents stingyness when you have a saver and a nonsaver. So thank the Lord (no really I do!) that He made savers and nonsavers, savorers and nonsavorers... which one are you?