It has been a few months since I last participated in the Monthly One Little Word Blog hops. My level of participation in the creative aspect of the One Little Word experience has waxed and waned. There have been months where I didn't even open the prompt. Then, in August, I did months of prompts all at once before again relaxing back a bit.
The prompt for December asked us to look back at our thoughts and feelings about our 2011 word, to record them, to ponder saying good-bye, and to consider how our word may continue with us.
"Savor" has been a wonderful word for me this year. My intentions for this word last January were:
- Savoring the moment -- not trying to do ten things at once ALL the time. If my kids are playing, I want to join in more and observe or do my own thing less. I want to embrace the fleetingness of this time in all its uniqueness and delight in it. My ongoing journey of finding the joy and marvel in everyday continues.
- Savoring food -- I begin again my fitness and weight loss journey each January. I want to think more consciously about savoring my food. I want to really taste all its wonder and not rush through. I want to pick my food more carefully for what it gives my body as well as the taste. I know that if I truly enjoy each small wonderful bite I will likely succeed at eating less.
- Savor - I want to add flavor to the lives around me, to enrich my surroundings as only I uniquely can.
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| Savoring snuggle time and cooking with my girl -- and accepting that this pictures can be so meaningful to me even though I'm not all made up or fancy. |
Overall I think that:
- It has been a check point as I make decisions and a reminder when my phone/iPad/computer gets a bit too glued to my hand.
- It has encouraged me to seek out special things to bring into every day -- more trips to the zoo, science museum, park, playground, farm, or wherever to have more experiences than sitting at home, but valuing those days when we can just sit at home together too.
- Weight loss/food choices was definitely not as successful as I hoped. That said, I did learn to love exercise more-- and more kinds of exercise. I did lose some weight and I did go through spurts of making careful decisions and spurts of not focusing at all. Definitely an area where I will need to continue to focus.
- I found new foods I can make for my family to enjoy and increased the kids involvement in making them. I love sharing the experience of making our food and teaching them little bits over chocolate chips.
- I tried to enrich those around me. It is hard to know how much I succeeded, but did look for ways to "be a light" as my Dad would say. I'm not the most "light" of personalities, but want all of those in my life to know how much I value them and try to make their lives more lovely as they enrich mine.
I feel like it is more than a word for the year for me. It is a word for life for me and one that I think I plan to keep in my thoughts and actions going forward. No, I have not always succeeded in savoring as my default mode is pretty fast and multitasking, but having it here with me has kept me more present, mindful and conscious of the beauty of just savoring.
Savoring looks at living in the moment, my word for 2012 will take us into a new chapter of our lives as a family. I am still not 100% sure, but I think my word is Grow. At a very literal level my body is physically growing itself and growing a little one inside. This will be my story in the first half of the year. The second half will bring a new growing little one into our home and new changes for us all. As our family is expanding so is our life experience. There are other new phases --like kindergarten-- on the horizon. I hope to grow in other ways as a parent, child, friend, colleague. I want us all to be more thoughtful, more together, more gentle --- hmmm maybe my word is more? It just feels like a year of growth in many literal and figurative ways and I am trying to prepare and embrace that change as a person who is not so in to change.
So what's your word? (2011 or 2012) I'd love to hear as I'm still pondering both my 2011 experience and looking towards the new year. I'll send one (or more) of the commentors a little present after a random drawing next weekend. Thanks to all of you who joined me with my word this year. I greatly appreciate the support.
The next step on the blog hop is: Monica B at www.
January 1, 2012 OLW Blog Hop Participants
Margie http://xnomads.typepad.com
Veronica www.veronicanorris.typepad.com
Sharyn http://www.LaVieEnChic.com
Monica http://scrapinspired.com/
Cynthia H http://paperpapereverywhere.
Abbey http://
Melissa S http://blog.mshanhun.com
Stephanie http://www.scrapworthylives.
Jenn L www.studiojenn.blogspot.com
9 comments:
Of course I'm prejudiced, being your mom, but I can honestly say I have seen you become more relaxed, more gentle, more patient during this year. You do seem to be savoring life and every day. Hope the coming year will bring many blessings.
wonderful thoughts this month,abbey. your thoughts on savor are inspiring. congrats on your coming addition! i am looking forward to seeing where grow takes you in 2012!
Beautiful post! Looking forward to seeing your "growth". Congrats on your soon to be addition. Happy 2012
Congratulations on your pregnancy! I hope all grows well this coming year ; )
Lovely post Abbey. I think Grow is a great word. Congratulations on your growing family.
Happy New Year.
What a great post to bring 2011 to an end. I love how you said your word is a word for life. I'm looking forward to following your Grow journey.
Beautiful post and congratulations! I look forward to seeing your "grow" journey during 2012
Love your word for 2012 (theoretically) GROW. My word for 2011 was Embrace, and my word for 2012 is Journey. I am sure it wont be long until you settle on a word for sure. Happy hopping -Amanda
Lovely word and thoughts. Looking forward to a new journey this year! Congrats on your exciting pregnancy news!
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