Quietly Looking Forward
Most celebrations I know of are quiet ones, even solitary. The boozy, devil-may-care parties are fun in their time and context, but the ones where you just feel happy to have made it through another year reasonably intact are possibly more satisfying.
There’s Always a Bell to Ring, Somewhere
I was supposed to bring along the bubbly and orange juice for mimosas this morning, but clean forgot about them until halfway through brunch at my son’s. Nobody missed them. The food and the coffee and company were enough. I did throw together an apple-cranberry crisp which I’d planned to make for the solstice party but held off for fear of making too many sweets. There’s some left over for tonight or tomorrow. Tomorrow I’ll make Hoppin’ John, to enjoy the silly New Year’s tradition of eating black-eyed peas for luck.
This year laid the groundwork for so many things. I’ve got thousands and thousands of words to edit into finished work, and have spent many productive hours learning the craft of novel-writing, particularly the cozy mystery. I’ve excavated through several more layers of fears and other old emotional traps, becoming more secure with each revelation. Technology keeps improving the quality of life, even as time and aging present more challenges–but I’m adjusting to both (thank heavens).
Letting time and nature take their course is one old saying that keeps coming to mind. Another one is, you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink it. Sometimes these apply to others in my life, and sometimes they apply to me. Letting time and nature take their course comes to mind every time I can’t even get the horse to the water, let alone have him drink it. He’ll either get thirsty, or he’ll perish. So be it.
Not all problems can be solved, but accepting this possibility can prevent us from making more problems. We can only do what we can, each according to our lights. For instance, there are a lot of things I could, and perhaps should, have done as a blogger–more social networking, guest posting, SEO, and writing more minimalism books, but I have been doing the most that I could do this year, or at least do well. Next year? Good question.
One Powerful Word, Sandra Pawula’s annual challenge at Always Well Within, is a nice a minimalist way to deal with New Year’s resolutions. This year I’ll choose “manifest.” I hesitated to choose it at first, because one naturally thinks of Manifest Destiny, an aggressive philosophy that led to no good, but the verb manifest embodies everything I want for the coming year: to bring into completion the rough drafts that were done this year, both in writing and in life. Many other good things will follow naturally from that, so I won’t have to worry about dragging that horse to the water, bringing the mountain to Mohammed, making silk purses out of sow’s ears, or whatever else seems next to impossible. I’ll just focus on solving the problems and completing the projects that are well within my grasp.
And yourself? What will you do?
Wishing you and yours the very best year in 2013.
M.
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I appreciate the idea of letting time and nature take its course. It brings to mind a sense of relaxed openness. Learning that “we can only do what we can” is not the easiest of all lessons. But I’m right there with you, allowing life to unfold whatever might be next.
My word for 2013 is “nying je”, which is “compassion” in short but actually is a mix of love, compassion, kindness, gentleness, forgiveness, tolerance and all those good things. The underlying point though it to let go of self-grasping and self-cherishing, which aligns quite nicely with your wisdom of letting time and nature take its course! Thanks for mentioning my article.
Sandra / Always Well Within recently posted..The Heart of December: Dream Carefully!
Hi Sandra–you’ve got a great word, one that is several levels above mine, both literally and figuratively. I’m still mucking about with the temporal, and you’re definitely dealing with the spiritual
Thanks also for mentioning my posts and for your supportive readership. Happy 2013!
I like your word. I’ve seen several posts today about the one word idea, and lots of words that others are choosing. I’m not sure what my word might be, but I like the idea of it. I also like the idea of accepting that we can each do only what we can. There are so many more things I’d like to do than I can do. I’ve made progress in coming to some peace with that. I’m hoping to make more. (Peace is on the list of contenders for my word of the year.)
Wishing you well in the coming year, Meg. I’m glad that writing here is one of the things you’re able to do.
Rita@thissortaoldlife.com recently posted..Lessons learned in 2012
Hi Rita–peace is a very very good word for so many of us, one I considered myself until I realized that at this stage in my life, manifesting some more published work and other tangible matters would bring me a lot of peace of mind. Happy 2013 and hope it is a good one for you and yours
Woke up early this morning and the word was right there: Intentional. One that, if I can remain true to it, will bring peace. Thanks for the nudge that obviously worked its way into my subconscious!
Rita@thissortaoldlife.com recently posted..Lessons learned in 2012
I’ve chosen my word and written about it on my blog. Happy 2013!
Hi Willow–read it, and it’s a good word, too! Happy New Year
Learning to slow down has been a hard lesson for me but a wonderful one. I’m glad you’ve been able to take the time you need to do the important things and let some other things go.
My word last year was kindness. It was awesome. This year it’s see. It’s about seeing all the things I miss when I rush. It’s about taking the time to be here and now. I love having just one word guide my entire year.
Best wishes with all you manifest this year.
misssrobin recently posted..Living in the First Person, Present Tense
Hi Miss Robin–”see” is a very good word, very waking-meditation. Sandra’s one word resolution is one of the best ideas I’ve ever come across, too. My old lists of resolutions were so focused on everything I wasn’t or felt I should be, that it was impossible to sustain any momentum toward getting those things accomplished. But a single word is more like a state of mind, and easy to get back into whenever we slip up.
Happy New Year!