Sunday, December 27, 2020

Word of the year: Devotion



While I've read about people who've advocated for picking a "word of the year" for many years, I never felt drawn to pick on for myself.  People would rave about how it helped them to focus their priorities, align their inner compass, and to help them get back up when they fell. 

My life is in constant flux and has been for as long as I can remember - regular moves my entire life (seven states), grand and small adventures, starting a family, my husband's undergrad, grad-school, and military career, and now my own degree. As each of these major changes arises, I reorient, reassess, and move forward.

However, for a couple of weeks, I've been hearing a whisper of inspiration to claim a word for the coming year. While much good has come from this past year, I long for more clarity, direction, and fulfillment. I've been feeling inklings of inspiration for about a week and then last night felt clear that I would choose a word of the year. It is: 


(click through for calligraphy of one of my favorite poems and more!) 

While some parts of my grand and widespread collection of family is religious, I am not a particularly religious person. I draw inspiration and guidance from many faiths and paths, and so I was quite surprised. 

But then, when I really started to think about it, it makes sense. Devotion is a mindset. I want to dig deep into what I have, to what I want to do, to who I want to be, and do all the tasks, be they ever so small, with great love and devotion. 

It's easy to admire the grass where someone else has watered it, the accumulation of someone else's skills after years of unadvertised practice, or the highlight reels we see with a click and a scroll. 

To be the one to put in the hours, to start a new skill as a beginner, to make crummy stuff, to have the youthful mentality of trying something you've seen others do well and know that you will be able to do it eventually, that is what it takes to create the life I want to have.


Do you choose a word of the year?  Let me know in the comments! 

We now find ourselves at the end of this unexpected, tragic, and still somehow beautiful year. I'm so grateful for all the moments of connection, even from a distance, all the extra quiet moments at home, the chance to slow down, and getting to witness resiliency, innovation, and healing on many levels. 

I wish you all the best for these final days of this year, and even more for the year to come. 

Sending love to you all,
Myrrh

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