Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! It's a brand new day, a brand new year, a brand new start. Many people (and I am one) like to pick a word of the year. In the past I have used words such as dream, focus, hope, joy, and believe--just to name a few. After much consideration,, my word for 2019 is going to be 

It's an odd word. It's definition is have the courage to do something. I was trying to decide on my word when one of those FB things popped up where you answer questions or it reads your posts and gives you details about yourself. This one was What is  your word for 2019? So I thought what the heck. It popped up DARE. I had an option for it to look for another word, but I decided to think this through. 

I never went off to college. I lived with my parents until I was 20. I got married at 20 so I moved in with my husband and had twins by the time I was 21. It last about 2 years and then we divorced (bad match) and I had no choice but to move back in with my parents. Where I stayed until I found my own place a year or so later. So I was finally out on my own, but with two children to support and busy being the mom and the dad to my babies. Enter Allen, the love of my life who I married after a whirlwind courtship. We were married for 34 years when he passed away after a short illness. So here I am 62. A widow. With five grandchildren. And I am alone for the first time in my life. I make all my decisions. I do what I want when I want. But I find myself still thinking I need to run my decisions by somebody to get their opinion or thoughts. So I think I am liking the word dare. I can step outside my comfort zone and live my life my way. Don't worry, I won't be going crazy. It's just that I finally realized I can do what I want when I want and if someone thinks I'm crazy well let them.  

The first couple of years after Allen passed away I would think of all the things I was going to miss with him gone. One was traveling. We used to take little short two day trips. We would go somewhere that was just a 2 - 3 hour drive, sometimes a little more. Explore around and do different things. I thought those days were gone. But they aren't. I'm still healthy; I'm still full of energy. I have five grandchildren and I know the younger ones would gladly go on trips with Mamaw. I have friends who love to getaway for a day or two. My daughter and I love to take one day shopping trips within a one hour radius of home. So the only thing blocking me from doing these things is ME.

And that's just one of many things I plan on doing this year that I haven't been brave enough or secure enough to do in the past because I thought I had to have somebody's approval. I have a good friend who is very creative. I asked him to write and design me something motivational about my word that I could frame and hang for the year. 

I read a book one time by Barbara Delinsky called The Summer I Dared. It was so amazing I have read it every year since I discovered it. So I am going to read it again this January and apply some of the thing the lady did and make this the YEAR I dared. I have a bucket list app and a few other apps to keep track of my progress and mark things off my list. I would love to hear what your word of the year is and the story behind it.