Searching for my word…

It’s a tradition I’ve never participated in. With the year coming to an end, many of my friends and acquaintances will be choosing a word to focus on during the 365 days of 2012. Granted, many of my friends are writers, so this may not be as common a tradition as it appears to me to be.

This year, I’ve decided to find my word. Some change in my life seems like a solid idea. Things haven’t exactly been going in the direction I’d like them to. This year has been filled with loss. Some loss of relationships, some realization of the fact that there never was a relationship to salvage, and much loss of security. I’ve struggled with fears and anxiety, disappointment and sorrow.

I’d like my word to be something like…HOPE. But I’m not convinced yet that this is the one.

2011 wasn’t all bad, and in the end, I still have an amazing husband and my children are healthy.  So maybe GRATITUDE should be my word.  I’m sitting here in my darkened living room, still able to write this post with the electricity out. There are so many things that I’m grateful for, and shouldn’t that be our focus every year?

I’ve watched helplessly as circumstances around me have taken seriously wrong turns with no way to stop the runaway train. Maybe SURRENDER should be my word…but maybe FIGHT would be better.

What about COMPASSION. There’s something this world is greatly lacking. I do hope I can be a person of compassion, FORGIVENESS, STRENGTH and MERCY. All wonderful words.

There are so many words to choose from. Each seems right in its own way. So I’ll wait a while and hope the right word makes itself known.

What’s your word for 2012?