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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

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January 14, 2020

Can This Be My Word of the Year?

Happy New Year my friends! Is it still ok to say that when it’s already almost the middle of January? I hope you all had a lovely season of celebration and that your transition into the new decade has been a smooth one.

I don’t know about you, but as I scrolled through social media on January first (second, third, fourth) I couldn’t help but notice that everyone was announcing their ‘Word of the Year’. It seems that this has replaced the traditional resolutions as the thing to do to welcome in the new year. Maybe it’s because a single word can actually be interpreted and applied in broader strokes rather than declaring a resolution that is more specific and limiting.

And I saw some really great words you guys. Words that I might be inclined to use to sum up my own hopes/dreams/goals for 2020.

But, all I could think about as my finger swept up and up and up across the screen on my phone is that I didn’t know how anyone could make such a clear, strong declaration so soon after the craziness of the Christmas season.

Personally, the extra sugar, lack of schedule, late nights, extended togetherness (I love my people but we were together a LOT!), baking, cooking, cleaning and all of the other stuff that happens around the holidays had frankly left me wondering what day it was, what time it was and, sometimes, even wondering WHO I was.

And that’s when it hit me. Maybe I did have a word of the year after all. And I’m going to share it with you. Are you ready for it?

Befuddled

I’ll bet no one has claimed that one on Instagram! But, I’m nothing if I’m not honest and as the last day of 2019 quietly slipped into the first day of 2020, I honestly just felt so out of sorts. There seemed to be this pressure to chart a course for the coming year and to find the perfect word to capture that course.

And all I could think about was getting my house put back together and my family back to school/work and my body detoxed from the rich foods and treats. Befuddled was really the only word that I could come up with.

Now, let’s face it, I know I won’t feel like this forever. So, maybe my word of the year is more like my word of the month. But, I think there are more of us who feel like this at the beginning of a new year than we realize.

More of us who are just trying to get back to a normal routine and decent bedtimes and are still finding pine needles in odd places around the house.

And as I was packing up the Christmas decor on January 2, I stopped to look at the collection of plants I had placed in front of my kitchen window. They were so bright and green and filled the room with life.

And I thought…you know what?

It’s ok.

It’s ok that I don’t have a word of the year or a brand new course to sell or divine revelations about how to make this year your BEST year ever.

It’s ok that the old year simply blended into the new one and I don’t have to jump into it all with a lot of gusto or have loads and loads of fresh ideas and goals.

I looked at those beautiful plants and reminded myself that now is not the time to overthink things.

I’m giving myself permission to not project or force too much on this brand new year but, instead, to trust that it will unfold as God wills it and that my job is to head into each day with an obedient, joyful heart.

So, how about you? How do you approach the new year?

Whether it’s with fresh determination to accomplish that goal or fulfill that dream or whether it’s with a sense of befuddlement and confusion and a desire for magical fairies to come pack away all of your remaining Christmas decorations, my prayer for you is that you will simply welcome each day as it comes and remember that tomorrow holds brand new hope and promise.

And, don’t forget, we’re in this together! Much love to you all!

 

10 Comments Filed Under: Devotionals, Good Thoughts

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Comments

  1. Peggy says

    January 14, 2020 at 10:22 AM

    I have two words; patience and positivity. The last few years as aging has really grabbed a strong hold on me, I find myself struggling with my impatience, anger, and negatively because I can no longer do things that used to be so easy. Aging is not for sisses!!!!!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      January 14, 2020 at 11:29 AM

      Peggy you are SO right!! Patience and positivity are two excellent words and I pray that you will be able to use them as a lens through which you see your challenges as opportunities and that this year you will be surprised by how much joy you experience. Much love!

      Reply
  2. Cindy says

    January 14, 2020 at 10:46 AM

    Vanessa, that is exactly how I feel! You are spot on! You are my soul sister! Thank you for putting this out there in such an eloquent way. I am not on social media and I truly appreciate your blog posts. They are motivating to me. Hugs to you!

    Reply
  3. Tami says

    January 14, 2020 at 10:50 AM

    I don’t normally do a Word of the Year, but this year I chose one (although not until the new year had begun). I think you are right: a word can be applied in broader strokes. The word I chose is FOCUS, and I do intend to apply it in broad strokes. My hope for the year is that each thing I do will be done with focus, that I will be totally present, that I will do everything with focus, whether that “thing” is big or small, easy or difficult. I plan to apply it to relationships, study, housework, financial goals, and even rest. That’s pretty broad, but here’s to 2020 and keeping the distractions at bay and my focus strong!

    Reply
  4. Michele M. says

    January 14, 2020 at 11:23 AM

    Hi Vanessa,

    Once again you write so beautifully. I don’t think you are befuddled at all – it takes courage to say the things you do and I respect you all the more for it,

    Shakespeare said “To Thine Own Self Be True.” It was true hundreds of years ago, and it is true today,

    Enjoy watching those beautiful plants as your new year enfolds its awesomeness.

    Reply
  5. Pamela L Fishel says

    January 14, 2020 at 12:22 PM

    Befuddled may not be my word of the year but it sure is my word this month! I failed a mammogram and had to schedule a second one, an ultrasound, an MRI, a biopsy, and a lumpectomy all through the holidays. My writing fell by the wayside.
    How can I put away the Christmas decorations when I am limited to lifting 10 pounds for 3 weeks? My husband took down the Christmas tree but he is overloaded with cooking and laundry. I told him to just take the rest downstairs and put them on the table.
    I thought I would do my yearly planning while recovering. What was I thinking? I spend a lot of time counting the minutes to my next dose of Ibuprofen – 26 minutes. Befuddled is the perfect word!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      January 15, 2020 at 11:29 AM

      I’m so sorry for all you’ve been going through Pamela and it’s definitely not a surprise that you are feeling befuddled! I will be praying for relief from the pain and continued improvement in your health. Much love!

      Reply
  6. Angieg says

    January 15, 2020 at 7:14 AM

    I loved this post! This is how I feel this year…Like God is calling me to settle in before I do the next thing. I am glad someone else has the courage to say that the excitement of the new beginning is not more important than listening to the Gentle Father call us to our best and sort out the steps after we hear the call.

    Reply
  7. Margaret Ogle says

    January 15, 2020 at 8:51 AM

    Thank you for this post. I didn’t have a word for the new year until I read the comments and I think
    I will also use the word Tami chose. Focus. This can be applied to so much of life and I like that.
    This will be a challenge because I tend to try to do too many things at once. Thank you for your honest
    posts.

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      January 15, 2020 at 11:30 AM

      Focus is an excellent word and one I think I might need to claim for myself too! Thank you for your encouraging and supportive comment! xoxo

      Reply

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