My One Little Word

Welcome 2012! 

It is useless for me to make new year's resolutions because they are the same ones every year (get organized, lose weight, yada yada).  And I just don't stick with them for 30 days, much less 365.

I read this post on Lisa Leonard's blog last week.  (I just love her jewelry and blog; it's very inspiring!)  So this year, I have decided to choose a word to be my "theme" for the year.  It is present.

I want to be present whenever I am doing things this year, whether it's at home or at work or at the grocery store.  Too many times, I find my mind wandering to to-do lists or technology (Does Words With Friends or Facebook ring a bell?) instead of living in the moment.  I want to be present enjoying the little things my boys do.  I want to be engaged in the conversations I have with my husband or friends or family.  I want to be focused on whatever it is I am working on at work.  I want to be present 100% at the moment.  Maybe this will throw planning out the window.  But so what?  These days are going by way too quickly.  I want to enjoy these things:

Christmas Eve 2011 -- matching jammies for the big boys (including dad!)

Nash looking in the mirror in his nursery

Cheeeeese, Zane!

The first snowball of Winter 2011-12

Gratuitous baby feet photo :)

This morning on my way to work, I had to get gas in my car.  (Yep, that procrastination resolution from my last birthday isn't working out so well.)  I took the opportunity to be present in a brief moment to enjoy watching the light snowfall (our first real one all season).  It was beautiful against the backdrop of the WV mountains (even though I got distracted by the Adult Book Store sign in the the backdrop, on the other side of the road).  Nonetheless, I felt the cold wind on my cheeks and nose.  I breathed in the cold air (minus the gas tank fumes).  I was present in the moment.

As silly as that all sounds, I hope it is a step forward.  I hope I can continue doing this exercise every day in 2012.

Even though I didn't choose one word last year, I look back and think I did have a theme word for 2011.  It was joy.  I had a joyful year with some sadness and tension and disappointment.  But overall it was a good, year for me and my family.  I love that word.  Joy.  I want to keep joy in the back of my mind, too, this year as we go through this 366 days of a shiny New Year!