Words, themes, and resolutions

All you need is deep within you waiting to unfold and reveal itself.  All you have to do is be still and take time to seek what is within, and you will surely find it.

~ Eileen Caddy

Those of you who have been following me at Life in the Bogs for a while may recall that every year I pick a word or words as a kind of theme for the year.  Most people do this at the beginning of the new year.  For me, the Winter Solstice feels like the beginning of a new year.  It’s not the beginning of the new calendar year, but perhaps more like the start of a new cycle.

Twelve days away from the solstice, I’ve gotten a jump start on my word(s) for the new year.  The words, the theme, will be Letting Go.

If that sounds vaguely familiar, it should.  My theme for 2010 was Simplicity.  For 2011 it was Declutter(ing).  A few variations on a theme, all of which involve letting go and paring down in some way.  In the upcoming year I really want to focus on the letting go part.

While I was out for my walk yesterday, Letting Go came to mind and resonated so strongly that I deep down knew these would be my words for the next year.  Simplicity and Decluttering were ways of getting me to a point where I can finally let go of things that no longer serve a good purpose in my life.

It’s not all about Stuff, although that certainly plays a major role in the shedding or Letting Go process.  It’s also about attitudes, weight, procrastination, and other things I need to release from my life.  I suspect (but am not sure yet) that letting go will also make it easier for me to go with the flow, so to speak, rather than cling to shore.

Feather floating on the pond

The full moon woke me up early this morning, its brilliant light bouncing off the ice of the pond and through the windows of the house.

I wish I could have captured it better, either in images or words.  It was bitterly cold outside, but oh, so peaceful.  The pond had become one large sheet of ice overnight, and for just a little while, the world seemed frozen in stillness.  As the sun came up and the moon set, the kingfisher who lives at the back of the pond swooped back and forth as if looking for a hole in the ice.  We have a warm-up coming later in the week so I guess he won’t have to make a long-term move to the creek for open water just yet.

I caught a little of the sunrise from inside of the house.

Sunrise in the kitchen (on mortar and pestle).

It was well worth rising early on a Sunday to see.

I guess that’s about it from the Bogs for today.  Thanks for coming by and joining me for the sunrise and moon-set.  M has been baking bread today.  He made a delicious, delightful focaccia topped with onions, feta cheese, basil, oregano, rosemary, garlic, and kalamata olives.  Please help yourself to a nice big chunk of it.  There’s plenty to go around.  🙂

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