The sun has set on the old year, and risen on the new.
A bright, shiny new year.
What will we do with it?
How will we feel about 2023 after 364 more sunrises?
I don’t do New Year’s resolutions but like the idea of a focus or theme word for each year (thank you, Ray).
In 2020, it was mindfulness.
In 2021, it was listening.
Last year, it was intentionality.
I did ok on them each year; not great but better than if I hadn’t been trying.
They are all more a part of my steady state than if I hadn’t focused on them.
This year, I’m torn between empathy (thank you, Connie) and nature.
I need more of both.
More empathy for others, and also for myself.
More empathy for the world and our fragile ecosystem.
More nature, both in the strictest sense – getting out into it more – but also in the sense that I need to focus more on the natural state of things rather than altered, manufactured, ‘perfected’ versions.
I have more thinking to do about the intentionality of my focus on empathy and nature / naturalness, but I’m pretty sure I will have two words this year.
(There aren’t really rules about these things.)
Stick with me as I learn to be more empathetic and natural in 2023.
And – Happy New Year to all! And what would your focus word be, if you had one? (Or two?)
© 2022, Glover Gardens
Health, Purpose, Miracle and Breakthrough.
Those are great focus words. I especially like the openness of “breakthrough”.
Luckily, things got worse. My first wife passed today, one day after her 69th birthday. Tour manager Sara Oda is looking after travel. She asked one question to which I replied throw money at it. We fly from C’ville to San Diego to Long Beach to Aptos and finally to Los Gatos. Norah is not inclined to bring the little kids since they never knew Cherie. They’ve had enough sadness this winter. Besides, both grannies are home with them. Damned if “Four Strong Winds” didn’t pop up on play list. 2023 = 2022
I’m so sorry about your loss, Ray. A former spouse is a family member forever, just in a different way.
I wasn’t familiar with Four Strong Winds but just looked it up and listened. It’s beautiful.
It’s the national song of Canada. 🙂 It’s only getting worse. Today, my friend Darryl Young — Dancing Man 504 — died. If you never saw him on the streets or at Jazzfest you truly missed something. We finish my ex’s celebration and fly to NOLA for not one, not two, but three funerals. The touring group will play for the Tip’s benefit. We have a temporary band name. Muzaftarnagar. That’s a city 90 miles north of New Delhi where American plastic goes to never rot. MCC asked NOJO what I need, “Everything” was her reply.
More loss. That’s heartbreaking. It seems to be a season for loss. I hope y’all are finding some way to take care of yourselves while you’re doing all this supporting and grieving. It sounds trite but these kinds of losses really take a physical toll along with the emotional one. Hugs to all of you.
Happy New Year Kim. All noble thoughts.
Thank you, VJ. I just read your poem from the 31st and it seems like the last lines of it form a lovely coda to my post:
“Stay focused
task by task
there is no loss
in colouring the world
love rose
only endless bounty”
Love it when that happens!
I haven’t done resolutions for many years, I can never stick to them, and I suspect I would be the same with a word of the year. However, I can get right behind spending more time in nature (and giving more consideration to the impact of my lifestyle on it). Empathy I’m getting better at as I get older and, inevitably, encounter more illness and bereavement around me. Oh dear, I seem to have ended on a low note, so I’ll raise it back up with another Happy New Year to you and your family!
Hi Anabel, I know what you mean about resolutions, which is exactly why I don’t do them, but the focus word thing has been a little different. It’s always there, a gentle little voice on my shoulder.
I hear you about illness and bereavement and still remember the beautiful obituary you wrote about your Mum a while back. It’s ok with me to bring in a low note – it actually fits the focus word “natural”.
Happy new year to you, too, and I look forward to more of your Glasgow Gallivanter travel tales.
Thanks Kim! The blogging mojo seems to have left me at the moment (too many other things to write for my women’s history “career”) but I’m sure more gallivanting will appear eventually.
Look forward to seeing how you develop these themes in 2023. Happy new year to you!