Is it really 2015, already? Every year, it seems the days fly by more quickly than the year before. 2014, for me was a year of much reflection. I had been thinking of it as a "lost year," in terms of career and personal growth, but as I look back on it I realize it was a time when I was advancing by leaps and bounds.
In 2014, my Word of the Year was Acceptance (not to be confused with complacence). Things got off to a rough start, when a dear aunt passed away. I did not want to accept that. I was really hoping to get through an entire year without anyone dying, but maybe that's not realistic in this life. Every single person we know will eventually move on.
Midway through the year a dear friend went to Jesus. We were the same age -- both in our forties. Her word of the year for 2014 was contentment -- you can read about that here. It seemed so wrong to be saying goodbye to someone who always seemed so alive, but there was nothing anyone could do. 2014 turned into one of those crazy years where you want to be driving, but you realize you are just along for the ride. While we always have choices we must make, there are many things in life that we have no control over. We can't change them, no matter how hard we try. The lesson is not in changing those things -- it's in accepting that our own power has limitations. Sometimes we just need to accept that Someone greater is in control.
In 2015, I have decided I need to be more Intentional. I want to be more intentional in my relationship with my husband and my children. My husband likes to hold hands -- while driving, while watching TV, whenever. So often I am "too busy" to just stop and sit with the love of my life. Will it matter, in the end, if I don't finish some project? I've found myself rushing through phone conversations with my kiddos! Really, is there anything more important that I could possibly be doing than acting as a sounding board or being an encouragement to my children? I want to be intentional about spending time with our beautiful granddaughter, even though she lives far away. I want her to have special memories of being with us. Someday we won't be here, and those memories are what she will carry with her. It seems all we really keep, in this life, are the moments we share, and all we take away from this life is what we give. I want to be intentional about sharing myself with the people I care about.
2014 ended with a health scare in our household. Things are fine, but it was a wake up call. We did a lot of talking about not neglecting the present, because we are so busy planning for the future-- the future is now. I want to be more intentional about the choices I am making right now, whether it has to do with health, or career, or friendships, or play. We only get to walk this road, this straight path, one time. I want to walk it with intention.
A couple of years ago, Amber Waves Band came out with a CD called Hourglass. The chorus goes something like this: Time is flowing through the hourglass, life is short, the sand runs fast, and you can't turn it upside down.
My dear friend, who blogged at Life is Good, and who passed in 2014, was so touched by that song! She played it all the time as a reminder to savor every moment. My friend never would have imagined how fast the sand was running, but she shared with me how the Hourglass song served as a reminder to her to savor the minutes and live with intention.
In 2014, my Word of the Year was Acceptance (not to be confused with complacence). Things got off to a rough start, when a dear aunt passed away. I did not want to accept that. I was really hoping to get through an entire year without anyone dying, but maybe that's not realistic in this life. Every single person we know will eventually move on.
Midway through the year a dear friend went to Jesus. We were the same age -- both in our forties. Her word of the year for 2014 was contentment -- you can read about that here. It seemed so wrong to be saying goodbye to someone who always seemed so alive, but there was nothing anyone could do. 2014 turned into one of those crazy years where you want to be driving, but you realize you are just along for the ride. While we always have choices we must make, there are many things in life that we have no control over. We can't change them, no matter how hard we try. The lesson is not in changing those things -- it's in accepting that our own power has limitations. Sometimes we just need to accept that Someone greater is in control.
In 2015, I have decided I need to be more Intentional. I want to be more intentional in my relationship with my husband and my children. My husband likes to hold hands -- while driving, while watching TV, whenever. So often I am "too busy" to just stop and sit with the love of my life. Will it matter, in the end, if I don't finish some project? I've found myself rushing through phone conversations with my kiddos! Really, is there anything more important that I could possibly be doing than acting as a sounding board or being an encouragement to my children? I want to be intentional about spending time with our beautiful granddaughter, even though she lives far away. I want her to have special memories of being with us. Someday we won't be here, and those memories are what she will carry with her. It seems all we really keep, in this life, are the moments we share, and all we take away from this life is what we give. I want to be intentional about sharing myself with the people I care about.
2014 ended with a health scare in our household. Things are fine, but it was a wake up call. We did a lot of talking about not neglecting the present, because we are so busy planning for the future-- the future is now. I want to be more intentional about the choices I am making right now, whether it has to do with health, or career, or friendships, or play. We only get to walk this road, this straight path, one time. I want to walk it with intention.
A couple of years ago, Amber Waves Band came out with a CD called Hourglass. The chorus goes something like this: Time is flowing through the hourglass, life is short, the sand runs fast, and you can't turn it upside down.
Do you have a Word of the Year? I would love to hear about your Word, or your goals or resolutions for 2015 in the comments!