adjective tar·ry \ˈtär-ē\, to be covered in tar
verb tar·ry \ˈter-ē, ˈta-rē\ , to delay or be tardy in acting or doing b :to linger in expectation : 2 : to abide or stay in or at a place
noun tar·ry , a stay or sojourn
We were looking for a word that embodied slowing down, taking stock, looking around and enjoying your own life. We threw around a lot of ideas. Memento Vivere or “remember you must live” in Latin. My late brother-in-law had this tattooed on his arm and lived by those words. But we thought it was too hard to remember and not ours to share.
I thought of La Bonne Vie, the good life in French but that was rejected when a couple friends thought it sounded a bit pretentious.
Then my sister, Leigh said “What about tarry? Like, ‘don’t tarry’ (said in an English accent). “Except we do want to tarry.”
photo by Lucy Blumenfield
We loved the sound of it but found tar-ry to be the first definition to come up – like to be tarred and feathered. Next definition was to delay, procrastinate or be tardy. Not quite.
But then right there in the Oxford dictionary another definition, to linger in expectation, prolong, sojourn, stay around. Yes! That is it! Eureka! Pause and linger in the moment!
photo by Lucy Blumenfield
So many women today wear busyness as a badge of honor. In this country, stress and busyness are even rewarded. If you’re not running around with your hair on fire, you’re not doing enough. No! It’s okay not to be busy all the time! We invite you to do the opposite. Press pause, look around and sojourn. Prolong a moment of pleasure. Simplify and enjoy your life! You’ve only got the one!