I know it seems slightly odd sharing word of the year here at the end of March; however, I have been leaning hard into the slow life. Slow as in less social media viewing and spending more time figuring out what I want to do. So my word of the year has been slow in the making. This year, I have been mulling what I want to focus on this year. So let’s sit and talk about this new word.

Even though this season of my life is incredibly busy, I have been thinking, doing some journal work, and creating more. All the while, rolling a few words which felt right. As I continued to sit with the words, one kept coming back time and time again. This word just feels right.

My word for 2023 is: Magic. The magic of everyday life, the magic of creating, the magic of friendship, the magic of finding joy, the magic reading, the magic wonder, the magic of learning, and the magic of whatever else might be out there.

When I was younger, the magic of what is out there kept me wondering. When the weather started warming up in the Spring until late into the Fall, the window which faced the East side of the house was opened as much as my sister approved. Honestly I think she secretly didn’t mind especially during the long hot Summer months because we didn’t have a/c. Just about every night, I posted beside the window looking out towards the airport light. Dreaming of where I could go if I went to the airport. To me, the rotating light of the airport held so much magic as a gateway to anywhere I would like to go.

As I dreamed of all the magic, my soundtrack was big band music from our local public radio station. The sounds were so different from what was on the radio when my sisters had the radio. The way the people who made this music combined so many different voices to connect with people.

So magic takes me back to when I allowed myself to dream of everything and anything. This year is going to be year of magic, dreaming and believing in myself.