The year is 2022. Let me be still.
Here we are again, the start of a new year, the start of a new year in the same pandemic.
I have been thinking about my theme/word/motto or thoughts of this coming year. Planning to wrap my head around what the flavour should be for 2022, and honestly kept pushing it off for more tactical things…work, kids, organizing and cleaning (can that be therapy?) etc. Trying to cross off the things on my list to feel productive and accomplished, those stoic emotions that drown out the others that touch the heart.
Then through some reading and reflection it hit me. My list will never get done, and damn it, it is okay. Or more like I need to come to terms that is okay. That feeling in my stomach of things to do needs to change to a feeling of contentment for what has already been done and knowing it will all work out.
I heard this concept that we are all handed a bunch of minutes in life and those inevitably turn into moments. This transcends to living in the moment vs living for the future. I do that, I live for the next thing on the list, for the future possibilities’ vs loving the now. But not all minutes can be moments, it is called life – we must get the groceries, we must wash the clothes, we must fill in the timesheets.
But I also realize the moments don’t have be Instagram competitive level worthy. They don’t have to be perfect couple photos, toned arms, laying on a beach in the Maldives (although one day would be nice), or an anniversary etc. In fact, I realize the moments that mean the most to me are the ones filled with ridiculousness and simplicity.
My daughter standing on the top of the stairs bent over in laughter as I crack a joke and yes, she thinks it’s funny (my sarcastic, queen of eye roll teen) It’s cooking in the kitchen with some music on singing out of tune, it’s cuddles from my crazy cute perpetual puppy. It’s a phone call from my mom that ends in a rare I love you (we don’t say it we do it) or a call with my friend that turns into what we think should be our own brilliant world-wide podcast, it’s the sunshine that comes in my room that fills it with warmth.
These are moments in the crazy minutes I call life. Moments I normally push aside to get on with my minutes, my transactional minutes, that consume most of my time and leads me to think I have no big moments. But I do. I need to be still to realize that.
So, this year, my 50th year in this world I need to be still to recognize the moments, MY moments that may not be so special to others but are valuable to me. I need to appreciate that silly is my love language and embrace it all. I heard that the antidote to this absurd world is well more absurdity. I’m no doctor but that makes sense to me.
Let’s bring on 2022, in all it’s pandemic and people madness and create good madness, little and big moments of madness all throughout the year. And I will make myself still, with a bit of reflection, literally stopping, more self-care, and less comparing (i.e., scrolling), less worrying, productizing everything that moves and enjoy every, effing, moment, that comes with it.