Happy New Year! I hope this finds you happy and healthy and ready for new challenges.
Each year the members of the Thursday Spiritual Journey group choose one word to offer focus to their year. I must admit that I have been fairly lame at this practice. Maybe it's my age? Gasp!!! If the past is any prediction, by June I will have to look back to see what word I chose for that year. So I have been asking myself if this One Little Word idea, often referred to as OLW, works for me at all. Maybe I should stop kidding myself. Or maybe I haven't found the right word. So, I've been considering... what word could inspire me and also bring focus to 2022?
Finally, I decided on a word, and my word is STORY. This year I feel more invested in my decision, more motivated. I hope to look and work through the lens of story this year, and I hope to find some clues to my journey there.
I sometimes feel that my childhood was spent in a fog. Of course I remember certain things, but also I now recognize many issues and situations I had no clue about then. And the thing about fog is, you might come out of it to a beautiful vista, or you might come out to find embarrassment, shock, fear, intensity, etc. Each clearing offers an opportunity to learn, each one offers a challenge.
Here's a story that I don't exactly remember, but has been told to me. When I was about 3, my mother washed the floor, but when she next walked on it she slipped on a wet spot, her feet flew out from under her and she landed on her back. I reportedly said, "Do it again, Mama! Do it again!" Of course I was just a child, and I didn't recognize the possibility of pain or injury. It must have looked like a pratfall to me. And since it certainly didn't happen every day, there must have been an element of novelty to it. My mother did a trick! Do it again, Mama!!!
Sometimes, even at my grandmotherly age, I still feel in a fog and I still misinterpret things. Perhaps we all do under our current conditions. But I'm praying that the fog lifts a little this year, and that stories both past and present will help me discern my path forward in the process.
When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child, but when I grew up I put away childish things. Corinthians 13:11
Margaret Simon wrote: We are gathering again for the first Thursday of each month. This is an open invitation to any blogger who would like to join us. We post on the first Thursday of the month. Each month is hosted by a different blogger. We do not adhere to any specific religious affiliation. We are here to express our thoughts about how our spiritual lives are going.
Join us if you can... read us if you wish... share!
Oh, your poor Mama. But, I can totally see a three year old finding the slap stick humor in a slippery floor and dramatic fall. Story is a wonderful word! I love it. I look forward to more stories. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteSTORY is a great choice! Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely word to live for the year. I think STORY is a gem and I admire your intent to capture stories from the past and present.
ReplyDeleteI love the word Story and as a grandmother, I can see myself adopting that word. I look forward to seeing the stories you capture this year.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous word choice, story. Today I was in a meeting talking about the power of story on many levels, especially in building bridges with one another. Precious photos! I wonder if your poor Mama lay there in the floor laughing at your reaction... little ones' reactions to things are utterly priceless. Always a story in the making :)
ReplyDeleteI love the pictures you shared. I'm wishing that I had chosen story for the year that I did my #52stories project. Like you, I'm still waiting for the fog to clear so I can know how to move forward with joy. Karen, I can't wait for the story of your year to unfold.
ReplyDeleteKaren, I finally made it here and am appreciative that you patiently waited for my response. Story is a great OLW for you because your posts always are full of story that brightens you life. The story you shared today is a childhood memory with a message. Children see life in different ways and we must honor their thoughts. Let story guide you along the way this year.You will be surprised by the power of one little word. Your word will pop up when you least expect it, fill your heart when you need it, and bring blessed surprises along the way.
ReplyDelete"Story" is a multi-faceted OLW; I think you'll have lots to explore with it this year! You are off to a great start with a memory story, and think of all the stories you are creating even now, day to day. I can relate to the "foggy mind"; I feel like that is my constant state since the pandemic began. Looking forward to reading more about your OLW this coming year.
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