Appreciate OLW: Winter Thoughts

      Welcome to the First Poetry Friday of 2022!        

 “Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental     journey, and enjoy every idle hour.”     -Attributed to John Boswell 

Happy New Year to my fellow poets, authors, friends, and guests!

This is the week when my one little word is revealed every year. There were a series of experiences that helped me choose my one word that was officially posted iyesterday. You can find out more information at my post,  Connecting with My One Little Word - SJT 2020, here. I chose appreciate as my one little word but more importantly, I think it chose me too. One line from a TEDx talk by Mike Robbins helped me recognize the importance of my one word as a healing word. "Appreciation is an important element in effectively dealing with the stress of challenges and uncertainty that so many of us are facing these days." Appreciate revolves around the concept of positivity so as I walk through each day, I am ready to find items or events that are small, ordinary, or big to bring a measure of joy into life.

I am ready to appreciate more of life this year. For today's appreciation thought I want to send warm greetings to the Poetry Friday community who have become more than a virtual grouping of writers, authors, and poets. You are all closely knit as a cohesive group of supportive friends. I value your friendship, your critiques, and your encouragement. Enjoy your walk through winter this year and if you are so inclined, send me an image poem, drawing, quote, song, playlist, or any other artistic expression to share the beauty of winter for a new poetic gallery to send around the globe. 

It is the life of the crystal, the architect of the flake, the fire of the frost, the soul of the sunbeam. This crisp winter air is full of it.-John Burroughs

May the crispness of winter fill your soul. Thank you for sharing your posts tonight and tomorrow. I am sorry that this posting comes late. My gathering with my family came later than expected. Now that the little grandgirls have finally stopped talking and closed their eyes for the night, I will post this blog. Click on Mr. Linky below. Thank you for joining my Welcome to 2022 with the Poetry Friday Community. 

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Connecting with My One Little Word - SJT 2022

As the glow from Christmas lights retire and the new year is blanketed in winter magic. I reflect on my previous one words. Openness, listen, believe, joy, hope, embrace, and balance were great guides on my journey from 2014 to 2020. Since last year was a transition time for the family. I chose the word begin. It honored my pathway to a new life in Virginia. This year, I desire to find one word that recognizes a need for wellness, peace, and quiet. It should be a word that awakens my spirit and opens channels of joy for the gift of life. 

As I write this post in concert with my fellow Spiritual Journey Thursday community, I  ponder words I gathered for this month's topic, One Little Word. Our host, Margaret Gibson, chose this prompt to start the new year with a powerful word that guides our journeys. I realize that my one word does not appear readily as it has in the past. What I start with is a full page of words on my desk, a recent dream that ends with appreciating life, and a short piece by Mike Robbins with a burning question that pops out at me.

But what if we took the time not only to appreciate but also acknowledge the simple things in our lives all the time in an authentic way?

I experience an aha moment! My one word appears:-APPRECIATE the small, simple, and ordinary aspects of life in an authentic way. I listen to Mike Robbins' TEDx video, The Power of Appreciation. One line speaks to me. "Appreciation is also an important element in effectively dealing with the stress of challenges and uncertainty that so many of us are facing these days." 

With my new one word, I commit to pause and appreciate the small, simple, and ordinary aspects of life. I hope to awaken my spirit to see life through a clearer lens this year, focus on the positives of each situation, and be filled with the spirit of abounding joy for the gifts of life, family, faith, and friends.

one word tip-toes

through winter's quiet hush

new year greetings

©CV, 2022

 "Life is full of delightful treasures if we take a moment to appreciate them." - Oprah Winfrey

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I am grateful that my one word, appreciate, is my guide this year. I plan on finding the ahhh moments as Oprah says. Join me at Poetry Friday this week. I am hosting this week at my blog with extended thoughts on my one word.