JOY
My “word” for 2023 was “Joy.” I remember just wanting to invite more joy, more happiness into my life as we were about to welcome our 2nd baby into the world last January. I fell in love with one particular definition “gladness not based on circumstance.” I loved it so much that I wrote it on a chalkboard in my kitchen to ensure that it would be staring me in the face for the next 365 days. It’s easy to experience joy when everything is going well. It can be harder to find joy in the midst of chaos, lack of sleep, temper tantrums, and the like. I knew 2023 would bring with it some growing pains, and I was determined to seek the good, the light, the laughter in every day.
And you know what I found? Not every minute of the day was joyful. In fact, I spent most days with a baby in my arms and a toddler needing attention, while I stared at weeds that needed pulled, floors that needed vacuumed, and a sink full of dishes. Finding time to shower, to put clothes away, to prep dinner was near impossible some days, especially in the beginning. I was postpartum, sleep deprived, and my mind was full of dreams and plans of all the things I hoped to achieve each day, each month in order to grow my business and live a full life. And most of the time, the dreams stayed in my head (or in the notes section on my phone) and my plans carried over from one day’s to do list to the next. And when I reflect on the year with that mindset - the, “not enough hours of the day” mindset that I often feel stuck in — Then yeah, I’m not sure if did “joy” enough justice this year.
However, when I reflect on the year from a place of abundance, of grace; I realized that no, not every minute of my days were joyful, but there were moments of joy in every single day. In those difficult newborn days, there were snuggles in bed with coffee, in the spring - the daffodils let me know that the hard winter was melting away and sunnier days lied ahead. And by June, I was spending afternoons in the park with two kids by myself - days I never thought would come just a few months prior. There was wine on the patio after baths and bedtime. Falling leaves, first steps, and a baby’s first Christmas. I remember having a conversation with my sister-in-law after I had Teddy. I was about one week postpartum - which in my mind - is the hardest week - and I think she could tell it was all hitting me at once. As a mother of five, she said this — “one day, you will be in the kitchen sipping on wine while you make dinner, and you’ll hear them laughing in the other room.” Let me tell you — I clung to that image for dear life. And you know what? That day came. And it was better than I imagined it - the best sound in the whole world. Finding small moments of joy got me through the hard days, and made the good days, even better.
I’ve been giving a lot of thought as to what my word for 2024 will be. For a few weeks now, rest has been popping up over and over. In 2023, I welcomed a baby, quit my corporate job, and somehow managed to still grow my business. The idea of just granting myself permission to rest in 2024 sounds delightful. But my husband got me a book for Christmas titled “Believe.” And as I read through the pages, filled with words about the power and magic that lies within us, our thoughts, our mindset. I think my future self will be much better served by a year of “believing” than a year of “rest” (as good as that sounds). So, we will focus on believing, of dreaming big dreams, of paving our own way in this world and set our sights high in this new year upon us.
I wish you all joy - every day, no matter how small. There is so much good to be savored, cherished, loved in this life. And maybe a little rest here and there too.
Thank you for reading and for being here! What’s your word for 2024?
