2023

Note: I wrote this on New Year's Eve morning, and that is when I am scheduling this to appear as posted, however several days have passed, and, in actuality, it is January 7 today. Since writing this, our area/state has been hit with a series of serious storms, causing significant damage and some loss of life. I don't want to be insensitive to that or to growing concerns about additional storms coming, but I am going to let this post as it was when I wrote it.

 

I am in our dim, early morning kitchen, with a soft, faux lantern on, sitting next to the window in a chair covered with a soft sheepskin (bought for me when I was about 12), listening to the sound of the rain. It is incredibly soothing. Deep in drought, it's filling my soul just a little bit, to hear the rain splatter, although we are anticipating a storm here in our area. 

We've come upon December 31st in a bit of a blink. Usually, I have been mentally toying around with and considering words for the year ahead for a couple of weeks, but this year, it has just been a couple of days. 

For 2022, my word has been Change, and it has been so appropriate. When Brown Mouse graduated from our homeschool charter, we all moved on from that community. M experienced employment change and rediscovering of self (much to the benefit of his health and our family connection). We are now book-ending high school. We experienced our first year with Biscuit dog. Mountain biking moved from something we enjoyed to a primary focus. Lala Bug said farewell (for now) to her long time dance studio. Lots of change.

For 2023, I find I can't limit myself to one word and I am having trouble choosing. Part of me wants to simply say my word for the year is Me. While I know I need to give more attention to myself in a number of ways, the word doesn't feel broad enough to embody how I want to approach the year. To start 2023, I have chosen Strengthen as my primary word. I want to strengthen my self-care, my boundaries, our rhythms, our long-term goals, my connections, etc. I know more Change is coming, though, and with the desire to Strengthen comes a need for an openness to Possibilities and I have a growing desire for Purpose. (Purpose was the first word that came to me, of these three, and I find I am resisting it, which tells me that is all the more reason to explore that a little more.) 

Choosing a word has worked for me for years now (since 2010), instead of setting resolutions. A word is a mental anchor for me. It feels simple and broad enough for those times my mind is getting away from me. I am a deep thinker and feeler, so a word (or, in this case, three words) to meditate on can help me to keep moving forward.

Wishing you all the best in 2023.