What is Your Word for 2014?

I am sitting in a quiet house as I write this. The kids are all back in school today. Part of me says it's cruel to have them go back for only two days. Will they really get any work done? Will the students and the teachers really be focused? And then, part of me says, two days is a good way to ease back into the regular schedule. As I said good-bye to each one of them, I said, "At least tomorrow is Friday." They really didn't seem to care, they just didn't want to be going back at all, no matter what day of the week it was.

The other day, I was reading a mom blog. She was saying that the two words "at least" changed her perception as a mom. It is that time of resolutions, that time of year that we feel we get a new start and we can make our life better. Most people though don't make it past the first few weeks of January before they fall back into their old habits. But this mom, was able to change those bad situations with her kids or at least her own perception of the situation with using the two words "at least." Yes, the kids all fell into the creek while sledding, but at least no one hit their head and got hurt. Yes, Ryan just spilt his drink at the dinner table for the 103rd time, but at least this time the glass didn't break. At and least…put these two little words together and you can change your perception of any situation.

For the past few years, I have not made a traditional New Year's resolution. Instead, I have picked a word to guide me throughout the year. Last year, my word was embrace. The year before, my word was enhance.

Last night at the dinner table, I had everyone pick their own word to be their theme for the year. Lately, I've been struggling with the feeling that my kids do not have a real sense of appreciation for the things that they have, but rather a sense of entitlement that we hear so much about. As a parent, it is so hard to balance everything. We want to be able to give out kids Christmas gifts and birthday gifts and we want to make out kids happy, but at the same time, I want them to be grateful for the gifts that they have…and not just the things wrapped in boxes under the tree, but the gift of a roof over their head and food on the table, a warm bed to sleep in and a mom and dad that love them very much. 

So we each picked a word, a word that you can use to guide yourself to be a better person in 2014. A word that can help you make good choices whether it has to do with school, being on a sports team, a better sibling, a better son or daughter, getting along with friends or teachers. This is what we all came up with:

So for 2014, we have Confidence, Strive, Believe, W.W.J. D. (What would Jesus do?), Perseverance, and Magic.

My word for the year is:

MAGIC

I picked magic because lately, I keep coming across the word. At Christmas time, you hear the word a lot. Keeping the magic of the season alive for the little ones, alive throughout the year, and then I would see the word in the books I'm reading. 

"I don't want to know how you did it. I want to believe that you're magic." ~ Counting by 7's

This past week, while in New York, the girls and I went to see Cinderella with my mom. There were three costume changes that happened right on stage, transformations from one costume to another and it was like magic before your eyes. How did Cinderella change from her old peasant clothes to her ball gown right before our eyes? How did the old woman, Crazy Marie, turn into the Fairy Godmother? It was like magic. 

For Christmas, Molly got a book about magic card tricks. She has become obsessed with them and has gone online and watched videos on how to do magic tricks with cards.

Chris and I will be celebrating our 20th adding anniversary this year. I remember the first time I held his hand. We were in New York City with a group of friends. It was after Christmas and I can't remember exactly what we did. I'm sure we saw the tree, went out to dinner, and went to a few bars. We had been friends for a while and had just gone on our first date right before Christmas so the whole transition thing from friends to dating was a little awkward. But it had gotten late and it was cold and he took my hand for the first time and the awkwardness melted away and it was like magic. 

I want my eyes to be open to magic, I want to be able to see the magic in my life everyday. 

And on this magical day, we celebrate 12 years with my loving, funny, laughing, joking, hugging RyRy.

Love this kid!

"When they had eventually calmed down a bit, and had gotten home, Mr. Duncan put the magic pebble in an iron safe. Some day they might want to use it, but really, for now, what more could they wish for? They had all that they wanted."

~William Steig, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

Snow on his birthday…magical!