one little word - shine

As the new year starts it’s time to find a word to define my year.

I’ve said before the words I’ve used in the past have found me instead of me picking them and this year wasn’t any different.

This word kept creeping into my thoughts and I would dismiss it.

How was I supposed to make this my word?

What did it even mean?

I guess somehow I’ll figure it out, because this year I’m going to

shine verb (used without object), shone or shined, shin·ing

1. to give forth or glow with light; shed or cast light

2. to be bright with reflected light; glisten; sparkle

3. (of light) to appear brightly or strongly, especially uncomfortably so

4. to be or appear unusually animated or bright, as the eyes or face

5. to appear with brightness or clearness, as feelings

SPT – Word of the Year

Every year since I started my blog I pick a Word of the Year.

This year I have struggled deciding which word to pick. In the past couple of years they just came to me without much effort. This year not so much. Or maybe the word that keeps popping in my head feels like it might BE too much work.

I want to BE me…just better.

Word of the Year for 2010

 

1. to hold or treat as dear; feel love for 2. to care for tenderly; nurture 3. to cling to fondly

As I sat down to think about my Word of the Year for this year I started thinking about what my upcoming year holds. Like most Moms thinking about what lies ahead for me includes a few extra people. I love my little family and I cherish it. I feel completely blessed to have the family I do. I love my Husband…and it feels incredible to say that and mean it with all of my heart and soul. We have been through so much together, both good and bad. We are a great team. I feel that we work well together and play off each others strengths and weaknesses. Well, his strengths play off my weaknesses really well. I cherish our relationship and I look forward to doing my best to nurture it and make it stronger. My kiddos are amazing. It is really mind-boggling that these are my children. I really feel that they are who they are in spite of me, not because of me. They truly make me want to be better than I am. I cherish them and their potential. And just as importantly I feel this is a great year to take better care of me and nurture myself. I feel that sometimes I let myself get lost in the wife and mother role. It’s a good time the cherish the woman I am. I need to take better care of myself so that I have what I need to care for those around me. Not just taking time for me…I do that, but making sure I put the time I take for me to good use, to cherish the time to make me a better person.

It has all the potential to be an exciting year for our family. Ham is going to be turning 3 in a couple of weeks. He isn’t a baby anymore. And in a couple of months Big J will be turning 12. He isn’t a teenager yet, but that is coming so quickly. I feel like this year is such a small window in my children’s lives. I don’t have a baby that requires constant and sometimes mind-numbing care and I don’t have teenagers yet and all the stress and angst that comes with that stage in our lives. I feel like that small window in our lives should be cherished. We are at the point where we can do things together without totally stressing about naptimes and worrying about packing a diaper bag (even if Ham isn’t potty trained it’s not a big deal to throw a couple of diapers in my purse or in his backpack) and yet we aren’t are SO over-scheduled with teenage activities that we can get away to spend that all-important family time together. I think this is the perfect time to make memories and cherish each other and impact we have on each other. I have noticed that the level of name-calling and senseless bickering is getting a little out of control in our home. I want my children to realize how important their siblings are to them. I want them to cherish their relationships with each other.

And I also cherish you. I am constantly amazed at the friendships and the relationships that have developed out of this crazy blog. I will continue to cherish the time you take out of your life to visit me and our Chaos.

 

Do you have a word of the year?