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Tuesday, January 05, 2016

One Little Word 2016


image from Unsplash

I couldn't put it off any longer. My students chose their One Little Words yesterday, and I was still procrastinating.

I almost settled on BALANCE, but this word is one I am constantly working towards already. (Constantly, in fact.)

Then I went on a brainstorming spree: bellicose (too negative), cheer (hmm...possibility), levitate, float, informed. Then I got grumpy: hibernate, eschew, shirk. I tried chickadee, puzzle, curious, inquire, ask, design (hmm...possibility), stretch, change, barter.

Suddenly, my word found me:

BEND

Bend. It tells me to be flexible, reminds me not to break. It shows me a curving road with an unknowable ending, a journey, and it beckons me forward. If it is my teaching, I think of it as to mold or shape. If it is my poetry, photography, and art, I bend my efforts toward the creative. A bend is a kind of knot that connects two ropes, so I can feel a tightening of connections with this word. Last of all, it's a warning to me not to go in too deep -- divers get the bends, you know!




10 comments:

  1. Oh, Mary Lee, what a great word! Learning to bend is a lesson we all need. I think I have chosen my word, but I want to live with it a few more days before I commit to it. : )

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  2. Perfect, Mary Lee! May it bring you the peace and balance you're looking for.

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  3. It's the be-all and end-all of words!

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  4. Your grumpy words made me laugh! Wouldn't it be funny, actually, to pick one like that! ;-) I love BEND - so many possibilities!

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  5. Great word to use to practice acceptance and mindfulness!

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  6. Love. Bend is something you already do a lot, but what a lovely thing to focus on.

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  7. Like Holly, I got a kick out of your grumpy words. Shirk!
    "Bend" is terrific. Glad you found just the right word.

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  8. Inspiring! Mine is Open.

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  9. I love your word. Isn't great to find a word to guide you through the year?

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  10. What a great word! It makes me think of "Birches" by Robert Frost or Gumby (are you old enough to remember him?). I hope you do lots of swinging from the branches this year.

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