I’m not a joiner and as much as I’ve enjoyed reading people’s One Word posts, I didn’t plan on participating. The One Word project is a challenge to choose a word that resonates with the core of your being, a word to focus on throughout the year that may shape your world.
Three words have actually already done that for me in the past few years – balance, community, and gratitude. They’re weaved into the fabric of my being and have certainly changed how I see things.
As I was reading One Word posts this year, I considered choosing an awesome word like fearless or brave, but that sounds like inviting trouble. Then I considered that if I could shape my experiences with a word, why not choose something fabulous like peace or rest. This is going to be a challenging year for our family so why not purposely thread those wonderful qualities into it? Somehow those words don’t fit into the image of me gripping the wheel while driving to Boston before giving over my son to go under the knife all the while chanting to myself “I’M FEELING PEACEFUL. REALLY. THIS IS PEACEFUL. I LOVE THIS PEACE.”
Just as I was about to set this project aside, the word that has been whispering to me for awhile became clear.
I want to look for the place where my story intersects with others; I want to hear your stories; I want to make space for the great and challenging and hard parts of my own story; I want to better understand Aidan’s wordless story; I’d like to stretch my writing to tell some more people’s stories; I want to learn from and value others through story.
The beauty of choosing the word story is that there will certainly be room to be powerful, brave, fearless, peaceful, joyful, wise, grateful, adventurous and so much more.
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What about you…what word would you choose?
Team Aidan 