Word of the Year—2023

 

Last year my Word of the Year was Thankful. And I have so much to be thankful about. My family. My friends. Indoor plumbing...LOL

In past years I've had words like Patience, Stretch, Step, Glee, Hope, Time, Chapter, Stop...

As every new year approaches, I spend some time thinking about what I want to concentrate on for the next twelves months. I went round and round this year, not quite able to settle on any one thing. Finally I had it. I've talked before about how little things make me happy. But little things is two words. I know, I could have cheated, and I thought about it. But I hit on an adjacent word...Mindful. To be honest, it's a more powerful word than little-things. I plan to spend 2023 concentrating on the small moments that give me glee and hope. Moments with my kids and with the Minions. Moments with Himself. Moments with friends. Moments at the cottage. Moments in the studio. Beautiful, glorious moments.

But I'm sure there will be other moments to be Mindful of.

There's a poem I learned when I was very young...

“I walked a mile with Pleasure;
She chatted all the way;
But left me none the wiser
For all she had to say.

I walked a mile with Sorrow;
And ne’er a word said she;
But, oh! The things I learned from her,
When Sorrow walked with me.”

― Robert Browning Hamilton

So more than being mindful of the small, gleeful moments I'm hoping being Mindful reminds me to embrace those moments that aren't as gleeful or aren't gleeful at all. I want to meet them head on and see what lessons they leave me with. Lessons and gifts. I think most of our problems comes with one or the other...frequently both.

When I started writing, I wrote straight up romantic comedy. Books like I Waxed My Legs for This? my PTA Moms, Everything But...series, Not Precisely Pregnant. But over time, I've added more serious books. Books that deal with those non-gleeful moments. Briar Hill Road, Just One Thing, Carry Her Heart, my Hometown Hearts series... They all taught me so much as I wrote them. I'll confess, I cried more than once with all of them. But each left me some new insight about myself and about life. Just like those harder moments in real life leave us gifts. 

So I will be Mindful and try to embrace all the moments 2023 offers me. I will try to recognize them and hold them close. 

As the new year begins, I wish you all a marvelous, gleeful year!

Holly

Looking for something to read in 2023? Check out:

Surprises in All Sizes anthology.
One of my Hometown Hearts stories is included!

Signs of the Times
Available for Kindle and Kindle Unlimited

Chances
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A View to a Kiln: A Harry's Pottery Mystery
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