Thanks Mari. I am always enjoying your writing. I think of you often especially with so many, many unexpected hospital chaplains. It is amazing the unexpected joy, found in hugging doctors and meeting NFL players and seeing my baby eventually get through another terrible episode with his heart. All in all , what a year. We just got home yesterday again, third visit in seven months, third time to try my hand at patience, mercy, and hope in the midst of heart ache.
Would love to share with you more- but it’s all in my latest post/essay. I loved hearing your answers about this year. It is amazing how kind we must be to ourselves when a year is so unplanned, so out of our control, and yet, so beautiful , because we’re all still making it.
My yoga teacher invited us to set an intention for the year in our class this week and dedication rose to the top for me. It feels serendipitous reading this a few days later to see that you chose devotion!
I love your tradition for finding a word of the year and these updates always remind me to find mine! Last year, my word was “play” but I haven’t come up with one yet for 2024. By the way I love your idea of letting your word “find you”!
I especially love the notion of achieving resolutions that we might not have set at all - what a nice way to reflect on the year.
I've always loved how you talk about failure. I still don't have a good relationship with it (I mean, who actually does?) and I can't say I have taken much chances or risks the last... what... 10 years. So it demystifies the process of trying and living and doing for me. I do love how you say you failed at being the chillest bride and I'd say that to completely succeed at that, you'd need to be a psychopath.
I am also right there with you when you write this: "people who are committed to their craft, steadfast in their objectives, and monogamous with their passions." This is one of the traits I most admire, and I need to get some of this for myself. I don't know how to move forward in my life or in this world, but maybe with a bit of quiet commitment, all shall be revealed... or not...
Loved everything about this post. And I’ve been meaning to start writing (again) and I think the Proust questionnaire will be the perfect thing to start with. My word for next year is Create.
I love love love all your writing, but especially your failures lists. I’m an enneagram 1 so failure and admitting it to others is so hard 🙈
My word for next year is WHOLE and it is because I feel so broken that I’ve chosen this word. My 2023 word was TEND and while I tried I feel like it was just terrible all round.
I loved reading all about your year in review (my friend and I read it together and she loved your answer about who you’d come back as if you’d die)!
I aimed to have a Sparkly year (I chose this as my word after your year-end post last year) and I don’t really feel like I fully embraced that; I made good progress but didn’t reach the places I aimed to go, in part because I didn’t make a full effort to commit to my goals. I think I am also going to take on the word Devotion this year because I find myself in a similar place to you, ending the year with a lot of ambiguity as it relates to my self perception and the goals I make and rarely accomplish. I am also at a place with my relationship to self that needs devotion as well! Your quote, “I’m not always accountable to myself, so I’m not an easy person for myself to trust” hit the nail on the head so hard for me, and I think pinpoints why I’ve been struggling so much.
Here’s to a year of devotion in 2024! Much love! Sorry for the lateness, just got back online after a vacation!
Oh, I just love the idea of "devotion" as your word of the year! It can be applied to so many different scenarios. I may be borrowing that.
Thanks Mari. I am always enjoying your writing. I think of you often especially with so many, many unexpected hospital chaplains. It is amazing the unexpected joy, found in hugging doctors and meeting NFL players and seeing my baby eventually get through another terrible episode with his heart. All in all , what a year. We just got home yesterday again, third visit in seven months, third time to try my hand at patience, mercy, and hope in the midst of heart ache.
Would love to share with you more- but it’s all in my latest post/essay. I loved hearing your answers about this year. It is amazing how kind we must be to ourselves when a year is so unplanned, so out of our control, and yet, so beautiful , because we’re all still making it.
Much love.
My yoga teacher invited us to set an intention for the year in our class this week and dedication rose to the top for me. It feels serendipitous reading this a few days later to see that you chose devotion!
Devotion is such a powerful word. Wonderful.
Mine is wellness this year, which I explore here: https://createmefree.substack.com/p/my-2024-intentions-word-of-the-year
I love your tradition for finding a word of the year and these updates always remind me to find mine! Last year, my word was “play” but I haven’t come up with one yet for 2024. By the way I love your idea of letting your word “find you”!
I especially love the notion of achieving resolutions that we might not have set at all - what a nice way to reflect on the year.
Happy new year to you Mari!!! ❤️
I knew I could count on you for end of year journaling prompts! These are wonderful!
I've always loved how you talk about failure. I still don't have a good relationship with it (I mean, who actually does?) and I can't say I have taken much chances or risks the last... what... 10 years. So it demystifies the process of trying and living and doing for me. I do love how you say you failed at being the chillest bride and I'd say that to completely succeed at that, you'd need to be a psychopath.
I am also right there with you when you write this: "people who are committed to their craft, steadfast in their objectives, and monogamous with their passions." This is one of the traits I most admire, and I need to get some of this for myself. I don't know how to move forward in my life or in this world, but maybe with a bit of quiet commitment, all shall be revealed... or not...
You look "gorgeous ", in that wedding dress. No wonder you want more veils.
Loved everything about this post. And I’ve been meaning to start writing (again) and I think the Proust questionnaire will be the perfect thing to start with. My word for next year is Create.
I love love love all your writing, but especially your failures lists. I’m an enneagram 1 so failure and admitting it to others is so hard 🙈
My word for next year is WHOLE and it is because I feel so broken that I’ve chosen this word. My 2023 word was TEND and while I tried I feel like it was just terrible all round.
I loved reading all about your year in review (my friend and I read it together and she loved your answer about who you’d come back as if you’d die)!
I aimed to have a Sparkly year (I chose this as my word after your year-end post last year) and I don’t really feel like I fully embraced that; I made good progress but didn’t reach the places I aimed to go, in part because I didn’t make a full effort to commit to my goals. I think I am also going to take on the word Devotion this year because I find myself in a similar place to you, ending the year with a lot of ambiguity as it relates to my self perception and the goals I make and rarely accomplish. I am also at a place with my relationship to self that needs devotion as well! Your quote, “I’m not always accountable to myself, so I’m not an easy person for myself to trust” hit the nail on the head so hard for me, and I think pinpoints why I’ve been struggling so much.
Here’s to a year of devotion in 2024! Much love! Sorry for the lateness, just got back online after a vacation!
Lack of Angles is my favorite answer :)
THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL THAT YOU SHARED.