One Little Word: Return

This year I finally have the time to follow one of my scrapbooking gurus, Ali Edwards, on her yearly journey of One Little Word (http://www.bigpictureclasses.com/onelittleword.php.

A single word can be a powerful thing. It can be the ripple in the pond that changes everything. It can be sharp and biting or rich and soft and slow. From my own personal experience, it can be a catalyst for enriching your life. 

I believe in the power of intention.  I believe that bringing myself back to one little word, like a mantra, can bring the word into more vivid focus.  This year I have chosen return.  These past few years have been a whirlwind of excitement and change.  From the entrance of our energetic little boy and the life transitions created through parenthood to the madness of completing graduate work while working, so much of my life has been about reacting and continually reorganizing to maintain a sense of order.  This year, I am choosing to return.

Choosing to return to what?  I am in the process of figuring that piece out still.  Luckily, with my grad work in the past and my Mondays a day to do with what I like, I have time for my thoughts and hopes and dreams to percolate.  Unlike the past years, I will be patient and allow for the words to come to me.  This is a lesson I have repeatedly learned from teaching, but for some reason have continued to struggle with as a parent.  With my students, I am very patient.  With my son, my patience seems to have been directly correlated with the amount of school work I brought home.  The more studying, preparation and marking I had to do, the less patient I was with Kai.  Now that I rarely bring home any work, my patience expands daily. Hmmm...

So, I am choosing to return to patience.  To letting go of time constraints...which perhaps is simply putting fewer 'events' into our calendar and allowing more time for play.

Ahhh, there's another one.  A return to play.  For me alone, with my husband, with my son and with our friends.

A return to girl-time.  

    to tea

          to face-to-face conversations 

to spontaneity

     

Note: 

okay, I was never really good at spontaneity, so I'm not really returning to it literally, but rather returning to the basic ability to make decisions along the way rather than having everything planned out on paper, on lists, in calendars.  I do not intend on giving this part up, as this is sort of a family trait - the list-making that is, but perhaps this sort of spontaneity has to do with returning to the basics.  Less planning, more enjoying the moments.

Hmm...right now I am going to return to my enjoyment of videos and books, and peace and quiet.  May you too have a moment to return to what brings you inner stillness and joy.