ALONG COMES MARY

It’s time once again for my annual Word of the Year post. As usual, I hesitated to keep the tradition alive. As I realized 2021 is my 10th Word of the Year, I knew I wanted to pick something.

Last year I chose Reborn to symbolize the birth of my daughter. 2021 has been a crazy, crazy time. I’m in a much better place than this time last year. As expected, I adore going places with Mabel. We’ll be at Universal Studios and Carmel-by-the-Sea in January. We love being by the beach and going to the park for swing time. I’m grateful any day I feel well and can give Mabel my all. It doesn’t surprise me, but man, babies are a lot of work!

I’ve also thought about how grateful I am lately. I have several aspects in my life many wish for. I know I was someone yearning for a family of my own. It will sound cliche, but having Mabel made me feel “complete” in a way I’ve never felt before. I still have loads of aspirations and goals and my to-do lists are never-ending. But I’m also truly learning how important living in the moment is.

Thus, my Word of the Year…..

I kept getting back to CONTENT for 2022. It’s tricky as I had “Present” swirling around, too. Many times lately, I find myself in moments of fierce calmness. I am actually learning to enjoy the moment. This is something I’ve chased for years. Usually, I like my Word of the Year to symbolize growth and persistence. “Content” felt like I was done. Over it. I have a family, I get through the day, I have some fun, life is good, what else is there?

But the more I thought about it, I realized how huge it is for someone like myself to FEEL content. I’m an anxious person, and clearly like being on the go. Sometimes I recognize this trait is to keep my mind from wandering.

Since having Mabel, I cherish times of tranquility. She’s shown me to savor that quiet “I have nothing to do” time. Sometimes, I have a million things to get done. Some days, I accept the fact that I need to rest and do nothing when she’s finally napping.

I’m slowly recognizing the importance of prioritizing. Yes, a lot of the time I can easily complete tasks in a day. Once again, my mind plays tricks on me. Turns out, thinking about a task for hours makes it much more huge than it usually is.

Starting the New Year with a content outlook is a good feeling. Along with it, I’m eager to get back out on trips. Stay tuned as I hope 2022 is a year of much traveling for stories. Mabel has places to explore! xo