My 2020 Word
Do you have a ‘Word for the year?’ I like to have a focus, or intention for the year. And sure- its the end of September and here I am talking about my word for the year, but this is often around the time I reflect on what the word has been and will be as I finish out for the year.
My word this year came to me like a slap in the face in early January-
Choose
This was before I even considered it is an election year, and of course before I knew that a global pandemic would upend everything.
It was before my third baby was walking, before I knew I would be homeschooling (!) my 1st and 3rd graders. Before so many things.. but that’s kind of the point isn’t it?
At the time- January 2020 (if you can even remember back that far, a day or eon ago I can’t be sure) I was needing to get a faithful grip on day to day life being a stay at home mom to 3 small kids, welcoming a campus student to live us, and picking a direction with my artistic pursuits.
I wanted to choose joy, choose to embrace and accept the moment as it is, not as I wish it would be,
Choose to love being in a house full of people despite my highly introverted nature, choose to say yes- I will do the laundry and dishes and dinner- AGIAN- because I choose to hold my life as a gift, and these tasks are a part of it. Choose kindness, gentleness, self-control day to day with my husband, the kids, and myself.
So- I am guessing you already see it- that theme continues to unfold like a gift that keeps on giving.
Choose to accept the massive scale changes of daily life that were unforeseen, choose to reach out virtually to others to stay connected, choose to wear a mask to protect others, choose to keep learning how to combat racial injustice in America, choose to take action on what I’ve learned, choose to examine my own biases, choose to have hard and uncomfortable conversations, choose to be grateful for what we have, choose peace when summer vacation plans can not happen, choose to choose hope against despair, choose to embrace a season of homeschooling, and the hardest one of all for me- choose to trust God despite my inability to make any sense of pandemics, explosions, and vitriolic political rhetoric.
There is nothing new under the sun- foolish leadership, violent injustice, disease, and sudden disaster are a part of the human experience- and this reminds me that true stability and peace comes from resting in Gods unyielding presence and truth. But I must choose to do so.
Every single one of the art prints and photographs that I have listed for sale here are a part of looking closely at what was literally right in front of me- and choosing to explore and embrace it.
To savor it and take my time admiring the beauty of a single moment time- flowers on my table, swirls of paint caught in a moment in time, sunsets at the beach ( thanks to the date nights me and my husband were able to have because of the campus student who lived with us!). There were many ( and I am assuming will be) days of exhaustion, frustration and tears, but I choose to allow progress and growth.
Choices to notice, ponder and enjoy what was right in front of me allowed creativity to thrive in my busy day to day life.
What will you choose?