Intentions for the New Year
It’s an overcast day in Portland, where I sit in my daughter’s apartment, high above the city, looking at the clouds hugging the tree-studded hills, the bridge draped over the river like a shiny necklace.
We’re both working out of home, and it’s cozy. I cherish these weeks with her. We sit at the kitchen counter, tapping away at computers. We take long walks through the neighborhood with the dog, stretching our legs. There’s so much to see each season here. Now I notice my reflection in the puddles, decaying leaves, mossy branches, and a big black cat sitting in a tangle of ivy.
Christmas was both more and less this year. Our St. Paul’s choir sang a beautiful offering of music on Christmas Eve, music that challenged and inspired me. Bill contracted Covid and was quite ill (he’s on the mend). Thankfully no one else in our family caught it. It was a sober reminder, however, that this virus is nothing to mess with, and I continue to be very cautious, masking whenever I go out or sing with the choir. We missed some family celebrations, but stumbled on a new tradition I think we’ll keep: opening our gifts outside on our sunny patio in Southern California.
One of our family’s best traditions is the annual giving of the books, which takes place on Christmas morning. I came away with a wonderful stack, pictured below. I’ve already read two of the books, and am starting on a third today. I’ll let you know what I liked about the books I read throughout the year.
Monster waves descended upon the California coastline. The viral video of the wave overtopping a seawall and sending onlookers running was taken a couple of miles from our home. We joined hundreds of folks later that day to safely view the powerful waves from Ventura’s promenade. It was stunning, and a reminder that the world around us is changing.
Inspired by TikTok, my daughter hid dozens and dozens of miniature plastic mushrooms around our house. We stumbled upon them everywhere: on top of picture frames, on window ledges, on the coffee maker, in plants. At first, I was annoyed, but then I realized what a gift it was: searching for them provided the gift of paying attention and noticing the physical objects that surround me.
I’m a big goal setter. This year, I’m hoping to finish some things, including editing the novel I’ve been working on for the last 14 months. I’m also trying to master a piece of music: Elaine Hagenberg’s Illuminare, which our choir will be singing with a lot of other musicians as part of a choral festival in Italy next June. I’ve also set a goal to do more in some areas: movement, reading, and presence.
I chose some key words to guide my intentions, words I’m uttering as a daily affirmation and prayer: Flow, Ease, Grace, Stretch, Consistency, Shine.
I’m determined to flow through the days, to accomplish my work with ease (mostly), to extend more grace to others (and myself), to stretch myself (mentally, spiritually, and physically), to be more consistent in my good habits, and to help others shine (forever the cheerleader).
What are you hoping for in 2024? What are you reading? I’d love to hear from you. Blessings today, and always!