As today is the last day of 2012, I'm looking back on the year with more than my usual reflection. I'm actually a bit sad to see this year go. It's been a year of tremendous growth for me, of following some dreams, and of beginning to heal some things that have long been locked up inside me for too long.
Early this year I wrote that the word "Compassion" would be my word for the year. It was a word that kept coming up in my mind as we began 2012, and indeed as I reflect it has been a most fitting word for this year.
I began the year feeling compassion for my hard-working husband George and my teen-aged children, which I wrote about here.
We have all felt much compassion throughout 2012, I imagine. Compassion for those who suffered in storms like Hurricane Sandy. Compassion for the victims and survivors of some of the terrible shootings the United States has seen this year--Durango, Portland and of course Newtown, Connecticut--to name just a few and the more newsworthy ones. When terrible things happen, it seems compassion pours out from us and we rise to the occasion and help those in need. That's a wonderful thing.
In the fall, along with kids from church I went on a retreat called Culturing Compassion. I felt so fortunate to be able to be part of that day of learning and helping out with some of the needs, both local and far away, in our world.
Then late in this year, I felt called through a dream to start sponsoring a child through Compassion International. There's my word again, and now we support little Cielo, whose name means "sky" or "heaven", in Peru. She's a beautiful little girl and somehow I think this relationship will bring as much good to us as it does for her.
I happen to be ending the year feeling the most compassion for myself. It is a time to for me to be very gentle with myself. I am choosing a path whose end is not apparent. I am choosing healing, as I said earlier, of some things that have been locked in my heart for far too long. It's not horrible stuff, but it is hurtful stuff and before I can move forward with my life, there is work to be done. I am surrounded by people--my husband, my friends--who will help me on this path and yet it is still up to me and it is still hard. I am working with a healer, a homeopath and spiritual guide, whom I trust deeply enough to lead me on the journey. But I am stubborn and I am slow and it will take time.
Gentle yoga, quiet walks in the woods, time spent outdoors and near water, inspiring books and lots of writing/journaling for myself will be called for this year. I am not yet sure of my word for 2013, but compassion will continue to be important of course. I'm not sure if I'll continue to stay off of Facebook but I know that I will do things differently in general. I will surround myself as much as possible with truth, beauty, light and gentleness.
In 2013, I plan to pay less attention to reputation or being impressive and liked, and more to being myself, authentic and true.
One of my favorite spiritual and universal truths of all time is attributed to Jesus in John 8 verse 32:
How true both versions are! May truth be my guiding force in 2013.
Early this year I wrote that the word "Compassion" would be my word for the year. It was a word that kept coming up in my mind as we began 2012, and indeed as I reflect it has been a most fitting word for this year.
I began the year feeling compassion for my hard-working husband George and my teen-aged children, which I wrote about here.
We have all felt much compassion throughout 2012, I imagine. Compassion for those who suffered in storms like Hurricane Sandy. Compassion for the victims and survivors of some of the terrible shootings the United States has seen this year--Durango, Portland and of course Newtown, Connecticut--to name just a few and the more newsworthy ones. When terrible things happen, it seems compassion pours out from us and we rise to the occasion and help those in need. That's a wonderful thing.
In the fall, along with kids from church I went on a retreat called Culturing Compassion. I felt so fortunate to be able to be part of that day of learning and helping out with some of the needs, both local and far away, in our world.
Then late in this year, I felt called through a dream to start sponsoring a child through Compassion International. There's my word again, and now we support little Cielo, whose name means "sky" or "heaven", in Peru. She's a beautiful little girl and somehow I think this relationship will bring as much good to us as it does for her.
I happen to be ending the year feeling the most compassion for myself. It is a time to for me to be very gentle with myself. I am choosing a path whose end is not apparent. I am choosing healing, as I said earlier, of some things that have been locked in my heart for far too long. It's not horrible stuff, but it is hurtful stuff and before I can move forward with my life, there is work to be done. I am surrounded by people--my husband, my friends--who will help me on this path and yet it is still up to me and it is still hard. I am working with a healer, a homeopath and spiritual guide, whom I trust deeply enough to lead me on the journey. But I am stubborn and I am slow and it will take time.
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| image from http://www.123rf.com/stock-photo/loon.html |
Gentle yoga, quiet walks in the woods, time spent outdoors and near water, inspiring books and lots of writing/journaling for myself will be called for this year. I am not yet sure of my word for 2013, but compassion will continue to be important of course. I'm not sure if I'll continue to stay off of Facebook but I know that I will do things differently in general. I will surround myself as much as possible with truth, beauty, light and gentleness.
In 2013, I plan to pay less attention to reputation or being impressive and liked, and more to being myself, authentic and true.
One of my favorite spiritual and universal truths of all time is attributed to Jesus in John 8 verse 32:
"The truth shall set you free."
I also like this version, attributed to Gloria Steinem:
"The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off."
How true both versions are! May truth be my guiding force in 2013.
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