Dear ,
Happy New Year! While I am, officially, on vacation until tomorrow, and this isn't a full Word-zine, I couldn't resist wishing you and yours the very best in 2019.
What clinched it was reading my dear friend and fellow writer Ann Campanella's blog post reflecting on her practice of picking a word each year that serves as an intention, compass, and, well, guiding light.
I've been picking a word to live out of and into each year for many years now myself, and Ann's words about her word for 2018, and how it manifested throughout her writing life and all the rest of her life as well, resonated so deeply I wanted to share them with you. So thankful she said yes!
But first, I'll share that my word for 2019 is shine, which floated into my morning pages with the refrain from "This Little Light of Mine," a song I've loved forever for its simplicity, spirit, and sentiment. I started thinking about something I read in The Artist's Way years ago about each of us being a uniquely faceted prism, and how Divine love and light shine through each of us according to our own talents
and passions.
And then I saw my grandsons' faces as they blew out the candle on their great-grandmother's coconut cake as we sang "Happy Birthday" to Baby Jesus, a tradition in our family for so many years . . . and, well, shine it is!
It's such a hopeful word, a reach for the best in yourself and others kind of word. And it holds my hopes for Rhys and Harry, still clutching his new truck from his uncle Dan in his hand. And for all our friends and family, and you and all of yours . . .
And speaking of our son Dan, his lovely girlfriend, Allison, said yes Christmas morning, and if I look like I'm crying from happiness I was, because our whole family loves this young woman. (And the icing on the cake for me is that a poem Dan wrote and tucked into the toe of Allison's stocking was an integral part of the proposal. Her ring is pretty shiny, by the way, in keeping with the
theme. :)
What a holiday! But I don't want to keep you too long from your own festivities and/or reflections, perhaps choosing a 2019 word of your own. (Words, like possibilities, are even better when shared; you are welcome to mine if it inspires you. Or Ann's, which I know will inspire you. Read on!)
Love and light,
Maureen
Featured Writing
Thoughts on the Eve of My 59th New Year
by
Ann Campanella
The approach of the New Year always gets me thinking about the past, present and future. I like to sift through the memories of the old year, cataloging my experiences – successes, challenges, periods of growth, etc. I also like to think ahead and dream about what’s possible in the fresh new days that lie ahead.
For the past few years, I’ve chosen a word to help define how I want to approach the coming year. Last year’s word came to me during the week between Christmas and New Year’s. It was “enlarge.” I didn’t exactly know what it meant at the time, but the word felt right, and I trusted my intuition.
As I look back on the old year, I can see so many examples of where my word came into play.
I was greatly enlarged through my connection with AlzAuthors, a group of writers who share the experience of living with Alzheimer’s and dementia. I’ve had the opportunity to work with an incredible management team, a group of women who I’ve come to love. I’ve also met and formed bonds with so many wonderful authors. I’ve worked with organizations such as the
Alzheimer’s Association, Caregiving.com and others to help promote the awareness of Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
My vision of my memoir, Motherhood Lost and Found, was enlarged as it was named one of “the best Alzheimer’s books of all time” by Book Authority, an honor I never dreamed I’d receive.
Aside from Alzheimer’s, the scope of my work has been enlarged. Last winter, I completed a draft of my new memoir about my daughter’s celiac disease. I had wondered if I actually had another book within me. Apparently, I do. And there may be others.
One of the things I’m most proud of is that I stepped out of my comfort zone and organized a celebration for my long-time mentor, Tony Abbott, last spring. You can read about it here. My intuition had nudged me a few months before the event, and I had that “now or never” feeling, so I
contacted Tony. He was in the midst of treatment for lung cancer. But he said, “Yes!” and we worked together to choose a day he could look forward to. It turned out to be a beautiful event at our hometown bookstore where Tony was surrounded by friends. My heart was enlarged.
On a more personal note, as I look back on the last New Year, I was enlarged by my family. . . .
You can read the rest of Ann's post (with beautiful accompanying photos) here. Learn more about Ann and her memoir Motherhood: Lost and Found here.
WordPlay Now! Writing Prompt
This is WordPlay—so why not revel in the power and potential of one good word after another? This week, it's
"shine."
PROMPT 1: Write about how you'll shine in 2019, and/or how you shined in 2018, and/or what shone for you.
PROMPT 2: Pick a word for yourself and your life for 2019.
It's fun to play with prompts in community with fellow writers, and to be able to share the results when you're done. You can find out about WordPlay classes, workshops, and retreats here.
MAUREEN RYAN GRIFFIN, an award-winning poetry and nonfiction writer, is the author of Spinning Words into Gold, a Hands-On Guide to the Craft of Writing, a grief workbook entitled I Will Never Forget You, and three collections of poetry, Ten Thousand Cicadas Can't Be Wrong, This Scatter of Blossoms and When the Leaves Are in the Water. One of her long-held dreams came true in July of 2015 when Garrison Keillor read one of her poems on The Writer's Almanac. You can listen to it here. She believes, as author Julia Cameron says, "We are meant to midwife dreams for one another."
Maureen also believes that
serious "word work" requires serious WordPlay, as play is how we humans best learn—and perform. What she loves best is witnessing all the other dreams that come true for her clients along the way. Language, when used with intentionality and focus, is, after all, serious fuel for joy. Here's to yours! |
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