Farewell (for Now) & My 2023 Word of the Year
Happy New Year! I realize it's way too late to be saying that but even though we're a few months in, this is my first post of 2023. I took a break before Christmas, intending to come back in January and yet somehow time kept ticking along without my return to the blog. This extended absence has brought me clarity and uncertainty. Here's what I do know (although it's hard for me to say this out loud): I didn't miss it. In fact, I can't see myself getting back into the routine of biweekly posts. I'm ready to let go of the rigid commitment of self-imposed blog deadlines. I may be ready to let go of much more than that.
I did love writing. I do love writing. I probably always will. Writing still deserves a place in my life but at the moment, that needs to be a restorative place. Like the way it felt at the cottage this past summer when I found a quiet, sunny spot and followed writing prompts, creating poetry just for fun. It was exploratory. It was playful. It was light. It was just for me (though I ended up sharing here later on).
When I started this blog (May 2021), pandemic restrictions were still fluctuating, I was home with my kids full-time and I needed an outlet: for joy, challenge, expression, connection, authenticity, creativity...Currently, my life is full of opportunities to experience these daily! Whether it's shaking my sillies out with preschoolers, watching a child learn to read right before my eyes, training new volunteers at the yoga studio, learning how to make dumplings with friends, teaching my daughter how to play piano, doing the simple things we used to take for granted like going on a dinner date, and occasionally indulging in more elaborate experiences like a family vacation in Mexico...These past few months have been filled to the brim with amazing moments! It's no wonder I haven't found the time for blogging or felt the need to express myself in this particular way.
What I'm uncertain about is where to go next. If I'm not blogging regularly, do I want to pay for a website? Am I ready to give up the blog completely? Where would all my posts go? Maybe I still want to blog, just not on a schedule...Would I ever carve out the time for it without having a deadline? These are questions I need more time to answer. (And I'm open to advice if you have any!)
For now, I want to leave you with my 2023 word of the year: pockets. Pockets can hold things. Pockets are cozy. Pockets come in different shapes and sizes so that you can find just the right pocket for every little thing that's important to you. Pockets define some of my favourite clothes. (Dresses with pockets. Jeans. Overalls...Man, I miss my burgundy overalls from elementary school!) When musicians are "in the pocket", the groove is wonderfully contagious. And food that comes in pocket form tends to be delicious! (Dumplings. Perogies. Peanut butter cups.)
In my final post of 2022, I mentioned "windows where time stood still and I relaxed into the pocket of the moment". These are the pockets I'm striving to fall into as often as possible. Over the past few years, I've built quite an eclectic lifestyle; one that allows many different parts of me to shine and grow and contribute and receive and thrive. You could say that I wear many hats: mom, childcare provider, pre-school instructor, reading helper, yoga studio volunteer, and most recently, substitute school secretary and/or librarian. But rather than juggling different hats, I prefer picturing each segment of my day as its own little pocket of time that I get to enter and settle snugly into, bringing as much of my authentic self to each unique situation as I'm able to.
Looking back at my first post of 2022, An Open Letter to the New Year, it feels as though more than a year has gone by since that difficult, yet cautiously hopeful time. I had no idea how many amazing opportunities the year would bring!
Finally, whether you've been a regular follower or just tuned in for the occasional blog post, I want to thank you for spending your time here. It's been quite the journey and I appreciate every one of you. Whatever the future may hold, I wish you pockets and pockets full of sunshine in 2023 and beyond!