If I had to pick a word to savor in 2022, it would be slow.
Does that sound odd to you? By slow I mean to pause and hear the silence—to stop measuring my life by what I have not done yet and what I mean to do—to read a book without caring about the Goodreads challenge—to read a poem and taste each word because poetry is watercolor in writing.
I am older now than when my dreams and goals sprang to life; they have changed and matured with me. I’ve written dozens of drafts and none of them are published. I sped through them, and the books I was reading, and the moments I shared with others. Even though I keep diaries, I will live with the nagging feeling that I missed something.
If I only read 10 books in 2022, that’s fine by me. I’m at 99 books for 2021 and I’m practicing now: I don’t care to read a 100th.
I’m learning new things that take time, such as baking cookies (you can’t speed through baking!) and watercolor (it forces you to wait for the water to dry). In my bullet journal, each day will have a page of its own and I will happily doodle, write poetry, and express myself in ways I never did before. Maybe I’ll finish my TBR list; maybe not.
Slow. Gentle. Attentive. Contemplative. Patient. Patient.
What is your word for this new year?
Mariella Hunt 
My theme for 2022 is health and healing (which I go into more depth in my latest post about looking back on 2021) so I hope to achieve that throughout the year. I really like your idea of slowing down and being more patient and contemplative — that sounds like a very nourishing thing to do for yourself moving forward. I wish you all the best with it!
Good luck to you too! x thanks for the comment!
Awww, beautiful! Slow. Live in the moment.
I don’t really take words for the year :D I’m not one of those kinds of people, and at the moment I don’t have any words I feel that way about.
Exactly! I don’t want to miss a thing x
Thanks for the comment!