sometimes something very teeny tiny appears to be the greatest gift of all. while, in this case, it’s something as simple as a tweeted link, it shows thoughtfulness, caring and an interest in sharing.
it wasn’t much, but it meant a lot to me. while he may have got it wrong with my height, he got it right with this link. and knowing that no matter how my style it is, it’s totally not nathan’s makes it even more touching that he’d pass it on.
ali edwards talks about her one little word for 2012
to make a long story short: choose a word for the new year.
as i read through her post, even before i was prompted to think about my own word, it had already popped in my head. interestingly, it isn’t a word i use often or much, but this was the second time it had risen to the surface before my eyes.
nourish
for 2012, i envision a life in which i can nourish all parts of me. this includes the part that is a girlfriend and the part that is a friend; the part daughter and part sister; the worker, the blogger, the knitter and the yogi; the cook, the cleaner and the crafter. the cyclist, too!
nourish, to me, means to feed, the care for and to nurture. this is the opposite of rigid schedules, drastic mandates and stringent rules. it’s slowing down, taking things as they come and letting it all play out. it’s also a major change to how i live and will provide a big challenge. i will nourish with good and healthy food, sleep, books, films and other entertainment, using my hands to make things i love and my body to move me in beautiful ways. i will finally learn to not take everything so darn seriously and to find the joy in every moment.
this summer wasn’t easy. when we needed people, some really disappointed us. others stepped forward and gave us the care and support we needed. for two of the latter, two who came forward in a way we never expected, i felt the desire to do something special this christmas. this is where my word for 2012 first made its appearance.
i’ve written about my love for kristen, my naturopath. i am so thankful to have that kind of treatment at all, and i am especially blessed to have the brand of care that only she can give. for her role in our experience this summer, she is my angel.
carol is a friend from work with whom i think i always shared a special bond, but i honestly didn’t expect that she’d be a person i confided in, but when the situation arose, it just felt far more right than it did with many others. i spilled and she did an amazing job of mopping up around me and making me feel understood.
if i can be half as strong, caring and beautiful as each of these women were to me, then i will walk the earth very proud. i’m not sure how i’d have survived without them.
as a token of my affection and appreciation, i made them each a bowl. one is seen in the photo above, the other is very similar. upon opening, tears sprung in the eyes of each of us because there was just so much more than the gift in the room. these two, among others, taught me nourishment this summer and i am determined to continue that growth through 2012.
*.*.*
a friend joining me on this journey knew her word before she finished reading the post as well. kevin picked his word quite quickly after i outlined the exercise. my mom is currently in deliberation on hers.
0 comment
You’re right, it’s not my style in the least, but you’re more than welcome for the passed-on tidbit. And your chosen word completely fits you. I am incredibly curious how you will apply that in a mental/intellectual sense.
I KNEW IT!! 😉
I’m pretty curious about how I will do that, too. Essentially, I feel like the most important thing right now is to just slow down and start taking care. I am terrible at that. I make hard and fast rules and I perform the task (or don’t depending on the type of rule) and I tick it off my list. What I’m trying to learn is that it doesn’t always have to be so rigid. Indulgence is a big part of what I’m envisioning; letting my body/heart (for lack of a better term – I mean focusing on what I want instead of what I think I should) do the talking instead. Thankfully, my brain thirsts for knowledge 95% of the time and vampires never. Maybe it’s learning some new things via classes. I don’t know. Do YOU have any ideas or suggestions??
I don’t; it’s something I’ve been pondering for some time, considering that I’m not necessarily in a job where my knowledge is expanding at a great pace, so I have to find other ways to do so that are compatible with the requirements of regular life.
I got thinking in the shower (my thinking place), and while you KNOW this is not my style, it got me thinking anyway. (DAMMIT!) So. *IF* I had to pick a word for 2012 (which is not to say that I am, because, you know, it isn’t my style in the least), it would have to be….
CONCENTRATION
I’m having huge amounts of issues with concentration, both in my professional and personal lives. Issues with performing as well as I can on the job because of fleeting concentration, errors with not fully handling my personal life experiences because I’m not 100% there. Issues with not being as healthy as I should be because I can’t fix my concentration upon doing what’s good for my body because I don’t stick with that which I should. Problems with feeding my mind in the way it begs to be because I don’t concentrate on challenging it in the right ways.
So. That is NOT my word for 2012. But if I had a word, that very well may be it.
But it’s not. Just so we’re clear.
😉
I LOVE THIS!! I am positively beaming that you didn’t choose a word for 2012! I adore that you did not take a look at your life and identify a place where you could focus on change and improvement! I am so happy that you won’t be joining me in manifesting the greatest of accomplishments in that specific area in 2012. Here’s to more of the same old same old in the new year!
(YAY!)
I’ve got mine.
Health.
I will.
Find.
Health.
P.S. Damn I love that bowl you made. Jealous much? Why, yes I am. Already thinking about what we can craft when I come to town!