My friend Quinn over at QuinnCreative recently wrote a blog post about a Word of the Year.
Neither Quinn nor I are fans of New Year’s resolutions. Let’s face it…they are hard to make, and easy to break. Or to be more accurate – easy to come up with, but tough as leather to maintain. We all start off with the best of intentions; whether it be to lose weight, start exercising, quit smoking, or whatever. We do well for the first day, week, month. Then the honeymoon is over, the real world intrudes, and the next thing you know that resolution has gone down the drain. Old habits are hard to break, and new ones are even harder to break in.
But a word of the year… that’s easier. There’s no promises, no goals, no “thou shalts” or “thou shalt nots.” Just a theme. Just a word to set the tone for the year. A word with intention and purpose, but none of the expectations and punishments of a resolution. You don’t have to worry about walking around with a yardstick in your hand, constantly measuring yourself and coming up short.
After doing a bit of pondering and processing, I came up with my word…
ROOTS.
I chose this word because it has so many meanings, amongst them being:
* The usually underground portion of a plant that serves as support, draws minerals and water from the surrounding soil, and sometimes stores food
* An essential part or element; the basic core
* A primary source; an origin
* A progenitor or ancestor from which a person or family is descended
* The condition of being settled and of belonging to a particular place or society
* The state of having or establishing an indigenous relationship with or a personal affinity for a particular culture, society, or environment
* To come into existence; originate
* To lend support to someone or something
All of these meanings really resonate with me. I returned back to my own roots a year ago in order to spend time with my mother, who passed away in May. As I cleaned up the house and prepared to turn it over to a family member, I found documents and photographs from my own ancestors – not only my parents, who have both passed on; but also grandparents and great-grandparents.
I’ve become more interested in genealogy and have begun researching my own origins. I know one of my ancestors came to America from England in 1632, while another didn’t arrive from Poland until the early 1900’s.
But beyond the concept of ancestry and homeland, roots also has other meanings for me.
We talk about roots being a source of support, a source of sustenance. I think a big theme for me this year will be finding that support, seeking that source of sustenance. After taking time out from the working world to care for my mother during the final stages of her battle against terminal cancer, I’m now looking to get back into the workforce again. I’m exploring the possibilities and investigating my options.
I seek my support from various cultures, societies, and environments. I’m a member of both the Deaf Community and the Pagan Community. I’m a woman, I’m a writer, I’m a healer, I’m a survivor. I draw upon my many experiences, as well as my knowledge and skills, to nourish me and sustain me and give me strength.
I go out into the woods and walk amongst the trees, and marvel at what they have to teach me. I look up in the sky and watch the birds soaring in the wind, and marvel at the joy and freedom they exhibit. I am reminded of the quotation about giving our children “roots and wings.”
It has taken me fifty years to realize the value of the roots my parents have given me.
So my theme for the year is to return to my origins, and to come into my own existence. To discover my basic core, and learn those essential parts of myself. To draw deeply from the fertile soil of my being. To find the place where I belong. To establish relationships. And to lend support to others doing the same.
To celebrate my roots.
What about you, Dear Reader? Have you come up with a “Word of the Year” for yourself? If so, feel free to share what YOUR word is in the commentary section below, and what that word means to you!
This sculpture shows the sign for "connect"...and that is what Deaf Pagan Crossroads is all about - making connections. Connections between Deafhood and Paganism, connections between the Deaf Community and the Hearing Community, connections between myself as the writer and you as the reader. I hope you will take the time to read my various posts, some of which are listed below. Welcome to the Crossroads, and I hope you make some connections here!
Don’t really like New Year’s resolutions either. Any time is a good time for some self-improvement work or to stop procrastinating and get going on those projects and such we tend to keep putting off. I’ve been working to wrap my head aroun…d the concept of “focus on progress, not perfection” and apply that to my life more. I think my word of the year is DIG, which in a book I’m reading is an acronym for Dynamic Inner Growth. But to make DIG happen, I have to dig into myself more. It’s a short and sweet reminder word to keep me on track working toward my goals. Dig it? 😉
I dig it.
My word for the year is “Health-ier”. It’s spelled that way, because I have over the years, turned to healthier ways of eating, living, growing, yet there is always room for improvement. So, basically, constant striving for being better! (Yet, not so that it causes stress.) I will still eat candy now and then, and forget to exercise, but will make choices that are good for me in life and love!
I’m trying to turn to a more healthier lifestyle myself, Sunny. It’s a good theme to have! Good luck and keep me posted on how it goes
Thanks, Ocean, for another wonderful blog post. “Roots” has real strength in it, doesn’t it? They aren’t always pretty, but they are deep and powerful and nourish what shows. Yes, it does sound like a great word.
My word for this year is “wonder,” in both the noun and verb sense. As in “I wonder what happens if I. . .” and “that sight filled me with wonder.” Being curious (the verb part) is important to my development as an artist and dreamer, and gratitude (as aspect of the noun part) is important in remembering where I am.
May this year bring us the roots of wonder!
And thank you, Quinn…for the inspiration which led to my word and this blog post.
Yes – there is something deep and powerful about “Roots,” isn’t there?
There’s something magickal about wonder as well. I think we all need a bit of wonder in our lives.
Indeed…roots of wonder for both of us!
Nope. Haven’t come up with a word for the year…yet. Although I think root is very good and very relevant to me since I have been doing alot of family history of late.
Not too late to come up with a word, Wolf. And I’m certainly willing to share “roots” with you as needed.
Ocean, You know I love getting your blogs; I think you should write a book; you’re an awesome writer and you come up with some great ideas.. after saying that..
My word for the year is PERSERVERANCE.. The reason why I picked that word is I am struggling through various medical challenges. I hope I can cope come up with enough courage to get through my medical challeges. Some days its a challenge just to get up in the morning and start the day.
So, this year I will take it one day at a time and get through with all my challenges..
May you persevere in all you do this year.
Nice blog! I love the concept of roots, in all the meanings, and it is so fitting for all of us. However, in order to not be a copycat :), I’m selecting the word OPEN. To be open to possibilities, to be open to perspectives different from my own, to be open to seeing God in the unexpected, to open my heart unguardedly, to open my mind non-judgmentally, to open the windows for fresh air even when it’s cold, to open discussion even when it’s easier to avoid a topic, to see where all this OPENING takes me.
Thanks for the inspiration!
No need to worry about being a copycat, Robin…there’s plenty of roots to go around for all of us.
But I like OPEN too. Being open is certainly much better than being closed, isn’t it?
May you have a wonderfully OPEN year!
i like roots, deep in the earth, connected with the mother, whose branches reach to the sun and leaves dance in the wind. its good to know from whence you came, better to figure out where you’re going. then to be showered with the rain cleansed and nurtured. yeah i love trees, never in a hurry, happy where they are……. oh the resolution thing hope, positive attitude, and the spreading of peace. im not gonna say im gonna lose weight, or exercise. stop this or that, or do this or that. im just gonna try to be the best me i can be blessed be birch
Ahhh, yes. I think roots as a sense of connectedness to the Mother is a nice concept, birch. Yes, there is so much we can learn from trees.
And being the best we can be is indeed the best gift we can give to others…and to ourselves.
[…] a previous post, I explained how my Word of the Year for 2011 is ROOTS. This will be an on-going theme in my blog […]
[…] this year I wrote a post here at the Crossroads about “year words”…words which set the theme for what your year is going to be, what your focus will […]
[…] at the beginning of 2011, I wrote a post here at the Crossroads about creating a new Year […]
[…] In 2011 my Year Word was “roots” – aptly chosen to describe where I was at in my life at that time. I carried this theme into 2012, where it was particularly fitting since I had just purchased my first house and was finally putting down roots in one place. […]