I really wanted to write this for yesterday. But I’ve learned to listen to what my mind, body, and spirit need and plan accordingly. So I took a step back after crafting the title. And so it gets birthed into the world a day later…go figure.

The last several years I have picked a word to guide my year. I don’t always know why the word has surfaced, but I find myself going back to it. For 2020, my word was “grit”…how ironic did that become as the year waned on. This year, as I think I’ve shared on this platform previously, my word is “magic”. At this point its a reminder to myself of what I have within me. I can (and should) trust my intuition, my magic. A reminder to slow down and witness the magic all around me: the magic of God’s grace, the magic of nature, the magic of the relationships that come and go and the threads that are woven throughout our lives.

My magic comes from generations of women before me: from my own bloodlines and from the tribe that surrounds me. It comes from gatherings and traditions. It comes from planned outcomes and new adventures. It comes from community and from introspection. It comes from fueling the spark within me and keeping the fire roaring. It comes from my spiritual self: that hippie/witchy/free-spirited, God-centered, nature-bound self. It comes from the creative genius that lives inside of me (and is rarely seen in full force)–creative in the sense of 2D and 3D arts, fostering and cultivating ideas, making space for other, and surrounding myself with music and artistic word.

I am sure this word will continue to mean new things for me over the course of this year. I have a friend who often sews banners of people’s annual words for them. She created a “magic” banner for me. I also created my own collage (which is very therapeutic for me). I hung them on my wall along with some artwork that has been gifted to me. It’s my very, very large vision board. I’m excited about waking up and seeing it every morning. Another positive in an ever growing list of pieces I’m trying to incorporate into my daily routines.

One thing I’d like to do is cultivate a playlist of songs that have to do with magic: whether it’s in the title or just in the song, whether it is a subtle reference or blatantly obvious. Send your recommendations my way!