My word for 2012: Look

2012: Look

“I have to learn how to see, to Look through to the Largeness behind all the smallness” -Ann Voskamp
This is the quote that sparked the idea for my word for 2012. Look, Looking, really seeing. I can see this word being the focus of my life this year for many reasons. The quote reminds me to look through the chaos and clutter that sometimes threatens to overwhelm moments to see what is important. What is key. What needs to be seen. It will help me focus on what needs to be done at a given time, and what can wait. I had considered making this year #2 of ‘yes’ because I feel I can still improve my ability to say yes to my kids. Saying yes to more snuggles and less dishes, yes to playing catch in the yard while dinner waits 10 minutes, yes to jumping in the pool just to enjoy some laughter. Saying yes in these instances will be easier when I am looking at these moments, the largeness, the important things. Yes dinner can wait. Yes the dishes will still be here later. Yes I am listening. Yes I am looking at what is important. These two words go hand in hand.
In 2011 I looked at and recorded 1000 gifts and blessings in my journal. To start 2012 the list continues to grow (1,091 to date). I want to use my word to continue to look for and make note of the treasured moments that fly by so fast. To capture them on paper, with my camera (maybe more regular blog posts are in my future), and in my heart. I will look for blessings, and savor them.
Finally I wonder how many times a day I hear the phrase “LOOK MOM!” I hear it so often I think I become immune to it. Occasionally I grunt a reply, or mumble something about “just a second”. Not as often as I would like do I stop, turn, and give my undivided attention to the child that has an item of wonder to share with me. Sometimes it’s a drawing, sometimes it’s a trick on the monkey bars or in the pool, sometimes it’s a beautiful fall tree (actually, that was WOW, but Look works too!), or as I heard about from Sophie this morning a squirrel “looking for food in the snow”. I want to hear my kids, stop and turn my body, look them in the eyes and look, really look at what they want to show me. I know the day will come where my kids don’t really want to show me everything, so for this year I want to soak in their wonder and really look.
This year, 2012, I will look and really see what is important in my life. I will look and I will treasure what I see.

(photo collage: a few of my blessings from the week: kids playing in the snow, darling green birds downtown Holland...right Tom?, snack at the beach on Wednesday with grandpa M., sun on my morning walk, a heated basketball game in Noah's room)