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02
January
2019
Pausing
My eyes slide over photos as I flip through my iPad library. Like minutes on a clock, these images measure the passage of time. Faces of loved ones, age before my eyes. Granddaughters go from girls to young women. Still others, like Don’s parents, disappear from recent family gatherings. I wonder, “What will 2019 bring?”
We face many changes.
Don turns seventy-five this month and retires. In February, I turn seventy-five. The Daremore Documentary, Let Your Light Shine will premiere in spring or early summer. Don and I will celebrate our 55th wedding anniversary in October. Or as my mother would say, “These things will happen if God is willing and the creek don’t rise.”
Janus, the Roman god of passages, is thought to be the namesake of January. He is always shown looking in two directions, to the future and the past. Homage was paid to him in all ceremonies. His role was to point out the importance of transitions.
On December 31st we wait for the stroke of midnight and tumble, run, or reluctantly step into a new year. Janus asks us to stay awake to the gap between past and future. We need his help. It is often the space between any transition that is missed. We slide over them.
Transitions are significant. Most cultures create ceremonies for them; baptisms, graduation, birthdays, housewarmings, weddings, and funerals all mark life changes. Even a New Year’s party is a ceremony of sorts These rites are created to mark the importance of life events
In our Circles of Women, January is the month of setting intentions. We take a sacred pause and consider an aspect we wish to focus on for the coming year. A consciously stated intention is at the core of each women’s work in her circle. It helps us support each other on our shared journey. Intentions do not determine what happens. They do guide our responses.
An intention is an ongoing reminder of how we wish to engage moments. As we look over a day, we can reflect on how our choices embody them. In that way, they guide us and allow us to ask: Am I a reflection of my intention? And if not, what do I need to shift or change?
Here are some to consider…
• I am the possibility of trusting my inner authority.
• I am the possibility of speaking boldly.
• I am the possibility of living my dreams.
• I am the possibility of embracing new adventures
• I am the possibility of courageous actions.
• I am the possibility of letting my light shine
• I am the possibility of compassion
I do not know what I’ll discover when I look through my photos next year. An unknown future waits for all of us. What I do know is that there is magic in transitional times when we are betwixt and between. I will continue to savor the sacred pause, looking back over 2018 and forward to this unfolding year, as we encounter these first tender days of 2019. I will see how much awareness I can bring to these moments of beginnings and endings in my life and the women who journey with me.
I hope you will pause and explore the gap between your known past and unknown future.
I hope you’ll consider creating an intention.
I hope magic finds you.
Photo: CC Loudon dodd~commonswiki
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