The Irony of Choosing a Word for the Year & Telling You About It in April

Did you choose a word for the year? How’s that going for you? Here’s my tale of me and my word for the year and hacking a path in the jungle. Because that’s what life is.

Last year was my first to choose “a word for the year”. When something is incredibly trendy and everyone is talking about it, I tend to be a little resistant to jump on the band wagon. If I’m one of the first people to do it, I’m cool with being a cool kid. The rest of the time, I play the skeptic.

So, I was a late-adopter to the Word for the year trend.

Word. (As we said in the 80’s.)

But, last year’s word for the year, PRIORITY, was a good one for me. It reined me in. It kept me in line. Most of the time. It helped focus me on doing the more important things.

This year I chose a word as well, but I’m only now talking about it, in April. My word for the year? Is late. Very, very late.

My word for the year: Revive.

Ironically, our family, and me especially, has spent the bulk of this year ill. REVIVE? Yes, please. We’ll take 8 doses of that, thank you very much.

After years of very healthy kids and a very healthy husband and a mostly healthy self, this year has been rough. I’ve seen the inside of multiple doctor’s offices, labs, and specialists. And I’m not done yet with what’s already on the calendar!

Sinus infections, walking pneumonia, renal stones, eye infections, blepharoconjunctivitis, and at this writing an undiagnosed eye ailment for which I’m taking FishChick10 to the specialist at Children’s hospital early tomorrow morning. Sigh.

Revive me, please.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m super thankful for a myriad of good things:

• extra one-on-one time with whatever kid I’m hauling to a doctor
• good health insurance, including $15 co-pays, no deductible, and cheap prescriptions
• a medical provider that has Sunday hours
• kids old enough to babysit so I don’t have to haul everyone everywhere
• an opportunity to add to my medical knowledge (LOL!)
• “simple” diseases and ailments and not anything complicated or deadly
• this year is an anomaly – please, God, let this first quarter and three days be an anomaly!

I’m tired, and I’m ready for change. I’m ready to get back on my game.

Two years ago that would have been impossible. My hyperthyroid seriously set me back a few paces. However, now that my meds are equalizing things, I’m ready to go.

Not in “ready-to-go-like-a-crazy-person”, but ready to tackle things in a more measured and determined way.

I want to be and feel and act revived.

This past week as I worked through these daily tasks, I printed off a “word for the year” worksheet and got to business thinking about how I want to revive myself this year. It’s never too late. In fact, I’m thinking April is a perfect time for this! 😉

I also brainstormed some things that I think of when I think of REVIVE:

• enliven
• move
• adventure
• risk
• energize
• renew
• refresh
• rest
• fun
• laugh

Funny that rest and adventure would be grouped together, but I think they’re both important parts of this for me.

Do I have this all figured out? No, no, I don’t.

Some people choose their “words” in December and are able to report back on a regular basis about all they’re accomplishing. I’m not one of those people, at least not this year. Ha!

And I’m okay with that. I know what I want, and I know I will see some variation of it happen. I also know that if I don’t try, I’ll be bummed. So I’m gonna try.

I had hoped April would be a completely fresh start, but the last kid to get sick just fell last night and there’s still the undiagnosed stuff to deal with tomorrow.

Is there ever a right time?

Maybe we don’t wait until “the right time” to work on things, though? Is there ever a “right time”? Years ago when Bryan and I were dating, he ran into a pastor friend of ours ran at a cafe who asked him when he was going to propose to me. Bryan said he was waiting for the right time. Reed said, “There’s never a right time to get married. Marriage is hacking a path in the jungle together.”

That has proven to be true for marriage, parenting, and every other part of life. Life is a jungle. You have no clue what you’re doing or what circumstances you’ll find yourself in. At least half of life is making it up as you go along.

So, while I have my “word for the year” all ready to go, here in April, ahem, I am also armed with the knowledge that I don’t know how things are going to play out. What I do know is that I can sprinkle fun, adventure, risk, rest, and liveliness into all the aspects of my life, whether or not I’m exactly where I want to be.

I can “revive” even if it doesn’t look like the 20-pound weight loss and rock hard abs I had envisioned back on January 1.

A girl can dream, right?

Have YOU got a word for the year?

How’s that going for you?