One Little Word…2026

I was thinking about my new OLW yesterday and I panicked!  Seriously panicked!  For 52 weeks how am I going to make the concept of adoption an intriguing read? How will I come up with something every week  people will engage with and want to read,  more importantly will want to interact with?

And then I thought… maybe that doesn’t have to happen. Seriously, how important is it that someone reads what I’ve “penned” and responds?  It’s great when that happens, don’t get me wrong.  But better than that…is when I respond to what I’ve penned.

This week my concept isn’t new to me, but it is one that I think would do the world at large BIG, BIG good.  Adopt the idea of being of service to someone else.  Maybe be of service to lots of someones.  Because we’re just leaving the holiday season it reminds me of the Grinch and what his poor life looked like before his heart was corrected to care for his fellow person and just how much he gained when his heart grew. If we could continue the story, beyond the roast beast and who pudding, what would the rest of his Grinch days have looked like?  How much more fulfilled would his life have become?  Would he have continued to live atop Mount Crumpett?  Somehow I don’t think so.

It’s often easier for us to have a heart to give in the holiday season, I’m not quite sure why that is, but I know it to be true — in my life as well.  So looking back on last year’s OLW of “Intention” let’s adopt the concept that living in kindness doesn’t and shouldn’t be an experience that we consider from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day.

Adoption.

There it is… my “One Little Word” for 2015.

The reason…well, there’s a ton of reasons why this is a great word for me in 2015.  Eric and I have given much thought to adoption.  Truth, me probably more, maybe it’s a crazy maternal thing.  But the simple truth is this.  Adoption has been on my heart for the better part of two years give or take.  We’ve taken steps forward and we’ve taken steps back.  We’ve taken steps.

This is the year  I pray our family grows through adoption.

I have friends, several of them in fact, that have gone through this process.  Some because of the heart pangs parenting has.  Some because familial circumstance has brought them to the door — but just the same, a decision was made to “adopt” children.

Here’s what Merriam-Webster says about adoption:

adop·tion

The last day of 2014.  Where does the time go?

If you look back at the past oh say 365 days in your life, which are the days that brought you the most joy? The most sorrow?  Where are those areas in your life where you experienced growth?  Did you try something new?  Was there something that you really wanted to make happen this year that somehow you just didn’t make time for?

2014 was made of 365 days, which were made of 8,760 hours, which in turn were made of 525,600 minutes, which were built from 31,536,000 seconds.  All of that time.  I know there are areas in my life where I spent enough time, but I can also acknowledge that with all of this time there are some areas where I really lacked.  I spent about 7,488,000 seconds working, earning a living so that my family has the benefit of housing, food, and all of our creature comforts.  I spent 10,512,000 sleeping — recharging my body so that I am capable of being a participant in my life.  I shared roughly 518,400 seconds of my life this year with Dominique in this great thing we have with Colorado Youth at Risk.  I’m really not sure how many seconds I’ve spent with my husband and son… we can count the sleeping  time I suppose, as we all live in the same home, and well at least 3,744,000 seconds if we count ONLY weekends…  But seriously, when you consider that there are 31,536,000 in a year, I feel like perhaps I could have done better. I have 9,273,600 seconds that are unaccounted for.  Did I spend that time wisely?

So now that my head is near explosion from all of the math I’ve just been subjected to — I wonder if we get the point.  We think that our time is infinite, that somehow we’ll always have more time to do more with.  The truth is we won’t.  On this last day of 2014 bidding farewell to “intention” my one little word for this year… I will be intentional about the time I am spending today, how I am spending it and why.  I hope you will too.  And… I won’t be saying goodbye really to “intention” I’ve enjoyed it too much — living with intent.

Looking forward to January 1, 2015 — and my new “One Little Word.”

Yes that’s right…  Doogie Houser, MD, the worlds first “blogger.”

Just in case you don’t know Doogie; Doogie Howser, M.D. is an American comedy-drama television series created by Steven Bochco and David E. Kelley, and starring Neil Patrick Harris in the title role as a teenage physician who also faces the problems of being a normal teenager. The half-hour dramedy began airing on the ABC from 1989 to 1993 for four seasons totaling 97 episodes.  (Thanks Wiki)

I watched it some, but not a lot as I was already a sophomore in high school and who would really admit to watching a baby faced Neil Patrick Harris?  But here’s the gist.  Doogie would manage the drama of being a physician and the drama of being a teenager all in 30 minutes each week.  At the end of each riveting installment,  Doogie would close out his day in front of his computer… Tap, tap, tapping away on a black screen with green type about the musings of his life, making him the first “blogger” EVER.

And so I’d like to thank Doogie on behalf of bloggers everywhere for making blogging the next big thing.

And just so you know… Blog it’s an official term. (Weblog)

The web says so…. So gone is the way of the traditional ink and paper journal or diary perhaps forever replaced by the tapping of keys headers and insert images here.  While I am typically a fan of the “old school” approach — blogging appeals to me.  I love that it gives an outlet for my limited creativity to be set free in more than words, but with pictures and other images that I just love.

If you’ve never kept a blog… perhaps that might be something to consider in the coming year.  I’ll say this, it’s fun to do in the moment and a great little memory of things gone by.

~L

So I am looking at my blog today.  I’ve got to be honest with myself.  I didn’t write nearly as much as I had planned.  That’s not good.  But, I did write and when I did… well, I think it’s good stuff.

Lots of things happened this year in my life, personally and professionally.  There were some great highs and some great lows also — and I’d like to believe that I’m a better person today for having participated in my life for the past 363 ish days.

I’ve put the thought into my “one little word” for 2015 — thanks Jeri!  And I have it.  I’ve actually had it for a few days now.  Other than myself, well only my husband and Jeri know my one little word for 2015.  But let me tell you this… I am so so so excited about it.  For everything that is means and everything that it can mean for me in the coming year.

So for the next three days… I’ve decided to be more intentional (that was my 2014 word) and get involved with my blog.  Start building the habit of writing, and caring my one little word from 2014 with me into 2015.

Overall… I believe that I was very much with my word this year.  I see intention in most of my actions.  I felt more guided to where I am headed and really embracing what the past year has been for all of the ups and downs.

Right now… well right now I am going to set the alarms for the next 52 weeks.  I’ll be blogging, once a week — getting it done.

Stay tuned for 2015 and my “One Little Word…”

Here’s part two of the words that MW and Oxford should just do away with. While we’re at it… maybe Urban Dictionary could take a note also.

The N word.  Oh my gosh.  Of all of the words in the English language in our broad vernacular, this is perhaps one that is so reminiscent of nails on a chalkboard that I get chills just thinking about it.  And yet, it’s become something of a term of endearment that young people in our community use on the DAILY.

It’s odd to me, that if this word is used one African American to another somehow it’s less offensive.  Here’s what I know about this word — and mind you I am but just one perspective.  The “N” word is something that for me brings my thinking back to the pre Civil War slavery, it brings me to the Civil Rights Movement,  judgements  made based on skin color.  A time that interracial dating and marriage was taboo. A time when the KKK was supported.  I really can’t imagine what would have happened to me had I used that word growing up.  I imagine that I would have faced a mouthful of soap from my parents and would have been looked at differently by my peers.

I imagine that the “N” word might do that for many… but here’s the big question.  Where does that word take our young people.  How did it become a word that is used in everyday conversation without the consideration of how it had been used in the past?  Perhaps there is an argument to be made for taking its “power” away?  I don’t know.  What I know is I am living in a time where the racial divide seems to be growing right in front of my eyes and as we near 2015 I am simply struck by the fact that we just can’t seem to move past where we’ve been.

I’d suggest, that we take charge of the language we use toward one and other, take charge of how we choose to treat each other.  Be intentional about what comes out of our mouths.  We can’t simply continue to spew trash at each other and expect that we’ll reap a culture of compassion and kindness.  It just doesn’t work that way.

I am including a link here for consideration… I hope you consider that the “R” word and the “N” word have no place being in our words.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/chuck-d-urges-rappers-to-stop-using-nword-9520859.html

Bloggers note:  after completing this blog, I am offering it as a two part series — there is so much to be said, and I want to be sure that we read and get each word.

Here is my warning…  This blog is about some pretty charged words.  In light of where the world is right in this minute, I believe this time, right now is as good as any to reconsider a few words that would be best served if they somehow made it out of our vernacular, dictionaries both traditional and “urban.”

Turn on the television… to any given news channel, Fox, MSNBC, CNN… and network news and it’s just everywhere.  Racial tension seems to be elevating.  Wariness of the police is on a radical incline.  We’re just not being nice.  Collectively, as a people you and me.

That said, I wonder if we abolished some words from our use and replaced them with others if maybe that might not start a new trend of being kinder, a trend that could be contagious — make us all feel better and perhaps, well… start 2015 on the right foot.

Here’s the first.

The “R” Word. Have you ever said it? Have you ever thought it?  I have, in moments of anger and in moments of humor.  And you know what? It isn’t okay in either moment.  It’s a word that we’ve chosen to use to define a person who performs at a slower rate than the “norm” we often apply it to a person with Downs Syndrome or some other condition that impacts their ability to keep pace with the “normal” among us.  And here’s the thing… That’s crap.  So let’s talk about Adison and Randy.

Adison is the young daughter of my best friend Dan.  She’s precious in every way — including her extra chromosome that gives her Downs.  She’s real, she enjoys Pitch Perfect, the Build-A-Bear store, and Rhianna. Dan…well he’s real with her and loves her in her every perfection. He’s amazing with her.  When he looks at her I know he’s aware of her medical conditions, the things that she needs to be successful in her life.  But it’s not a dwelling space for him, at least not that I see.  So while Adison needs extra help in school, I defy you to find any person on this Continue reading →

Disappointment is the feeling of dissatisfaction that follows the failure of expectations or hopes to manifest. Similar to regret, it differs in that a person feeling regret focuses primarily on the personal choices that contributed to a poor outcome, while a person feeling disappointment focuses on the outcome itself.^[1] It is a source of psychological stress.^[2] The study of disappointment—its causes, impact, and the degree to which individual decisions are motivated by a desire to avoid it—is a focus in the field of decision analysis,^[1][3] as disappointment is one of two primary emotions involved in decision-making.^[4]

Well… that’s what Wikipedia says about disappointment. Here’s what I have to say about disappointment, It happens.  To the very best of us doesn’t it?  I experienced some pretty heavy disappointment today.  I’d love to give all of the gory details, but there’s something about that — well, that just seems inappropriate.  But just the same, here I am today sitting with my Eggnog Chai, and my big ol’ cup of disappointment.

And here’s the thing… I tried something new.  Something I may not have if not for the complete love and passion  I have for something else.  I have a great network of support.  My husband, well he rocks.  And then there is Miss Jones.  That’s probably the best source of coaching I received today for me and my cup of disappointment.

I have a pretty magnificent life.  It’s filled with great friends and family, it’s filled with things that make my heart light.  I have a great job a dynamite career that I have built with each action supporting the next.  I have a God that is for me and seriously… who can beat that? If He is for me… well then who can be against me?

At the end of all of this… I am still able to participate in the things that drive me, the places where my passion lives — it will just look a little bit different, and maybe then again, not so much.  And the thing about a perspective box, well, it’s a nice place to take a walk.