Mis amigas, hello!! Hoping to keep this Word of the Year or WOTY reveal short and sweet. Thank you for finding time in your day to spend a moment with me. Looking at the graphic above do you have any guesses about my WOTY 2021? Those of you who know me well are probably wondering if it could be *S*N*O*W*. Hmmm, maybe!
WOTY 2020: Believe
My word for 2020 was believe. We – my family – had just come out of a very difficult 2019 and I chose believe almost out of desperation. Things just had to be better in 2020. Maybe if I believed hard enough, they would be. And in some ways, they were!
Things Believed On
- My mother-in-law May’s horrific car wreck from 10.2019 was resolved. The families settled out of court with the insurance company, and she was just given probation. Thank You, God. I am sure May replays the accident just about every day, or maybe every night when she closes her eyes. And I know for the other families involved, the pain never completely goes away. But May has been able to move forward from that.
- Mom’s health issues in 2019, including pneumonia and blood clots in her leg, improved. Or perhaps she just exchanged them for new issues in 2020. Another bout of pneumonia and a stroke which left her little affected physically but with a significant cognitive deficit. But she is still with us, and is finding pleasure in life where she wasn’t as recently as 2 years ago.
- Although a number of family members and friends have had Covid, they have recovered. And those loved ones who work on the frontlines in health care have remained well, and have now received both their first and second vaccinations against the virus.
- We remained employed (PC) when others lost their jobs, have had money to pay the bills, keep food on the table, toilet paper in the bathroom and sanitizer on our hands.
Of course I cannot exactly credit my ‘believing’ with any of that. Maybe my prayers, though. And by believing that things would be alright, I was able to keep my duck fits and temper tantrums to a bare minimum. I was able to sleep most nights. And get up again most mornings. So believe served me well. And God held me up when I faltered.
Isaiah 41:10 Common English Bible (CEB)
My WOTY 2021
This year’s word found me last week. It was kind of nice because I didn’t have to exert a lot of energy looking for it, trying to figure out which word best suited me. It kind of fell in my lap. Or, I think my shopping cart, as I was in Walmart at the time. Don’t some of your greatest revelations come to you in big box stores?
Light
You might remember that I have talked about my spiritual journey in some earlier posts. My parents were both raised in church-going homes. But as young people, they became aware of much hypocrisy in among those who professed to be Christians and moral pillars of the community. Both my mom and my dad moved away from their upbringing. As a result, they did not bring up my siblings and me with a religious foundation. Likewise, I didn’t raise my daughters in with a formal religious background. You can read more about all of that, here and here.
All of this to say, in the middle of a very dark, difficult time in my life, God shone His light on my life and my path. Literally and figuratively. Psalm 119:105 is one of my favorite verses.
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
Out of the Dark
We could probably all agree that 2020 was a year like no other. Certainly not all bad. An opportunity to stretch and learn and become more creative in many aspects of life. But it was generally dark time.
I am looking forward to stepping back into the light this year. You know, light at the end of the tunnel (but not to be confused with going TOWARD the light). Lighten up my possessions with the decluttering I want to do. Getting up earlier for quiet time and to welcome the morning light. Losing the 7 pounds of Covid weight I’ve picked up in the last year. Allow whatever light I might possess to shine bright from within. Develop a lighter attitude, be more fun, less cereal. Ha ha, get it…cereal!! I kill me.
So, I hope you will cheer me on journey this year as I move more fully into the light.
Your Turn
Has your word of the year dropped in your shopping cart yet? If not, keep your eyes open. Next trip to Walmart or Target, you might find it there between the milk and eggs.
Hope your week is off to a stellar start!
Hugs and kisses,
Great choice of word! It can be interpreted in so many ways and I’m looking forward to seeing how you use it as 2021 progresses.
Oh, this is a great WOTY. I don’t choose a WOTY but if I had to choose one, it would likely be hope. Hope that things keep getting better. And my amazing revelations usually come to me in the shower! It’s one of the few times I’m awake and able to just think. Hahaha!!!
That is a great Word of the Year!
Thank you, Joanne!! I think it encompasses about everything I want to work on this year.
I chose Hope though I’m already having trouble having any!
I don’t know what I want my word of the year to be. I don’t always choose one, but I think it would be nice for 2021. I like your word – Light. We could all use a little more light for sure.
-Lauren
I love it!!!
Hi, Leslie! I don’t do the word of the year thing, but I do enjoy hearing about words others choose for themselves. I LOVE your word for 2021! And the fact that it has all the different connotations is a plus. Enjoyed your post. 😃
Hey sweet Gale, so glad to have you come by! I think the different connotations for the word light are part of drew it to me or me to it. We found each other in Walmart as I was grocery shopping, trying to be light on the budget, purchase lite foods, etc.
What a great word! We could all use a little more light in the world for sure. I haven’t picked a word, but love reading everyone elses. 🙂
You had me chuckling quite a bit with this post… it was certainly light-hearted. Sorry, just had to say that. Seriously, a wonderful word of the year and hopefully it comes to fruition in many ways for you.
Yay!! Glad I could make you chuckle! I felt comfortable as I wrote this post.
You picked a great word for yourself. Looking forward to seeing how you apply it as the year goes on. Mine is probably FOCUS as in move forward with focus on what is important. Hard to not be scanning the internet and news though.
I opted for INTENTION this year. I want to keep it at the forefront in all things – where I spend my time, who I spend it with, the hobbies I give time to, the items I choose to purchase, and how I spend my money. Wishing you great success with your word this year!
Hi Michael, thank you for finding me and leaving a comment. I need to be more intentional, too. Especially in spending…she says after ordering a ‘gold’ necklace from Kohl’s!!
Great choice of word and haha to cereal….you crack me up!
Hey, Joanne!! Thanks, doll. Here’s hoping we all have light in our 2021.
I love your word of the year, Leslie. So funny that it fell into your lap while you were at Walmart!!! I am looking forward to reading how your word works its way into your posts this year!
I love your word, Leslie! Thank you for sharing this post and your faith background. I haven’t really shared my WOTY, which is Restore. You have encouraged me to write a post about it.