Following from an idea I saw on another blog (I would link, but honestly I forgot where I saw it – I blame the pregnancy brain), I decided that I wouldn’t really make resolutions, per se, this year. Instead, I decided to choose a word that would guide me and the way I think about this year.

The word I am choosing for this year is Presence.

This year is going to bring many changes to my life. The largest change, perhaps, is that I will be becoming a mother in just a few short months. My husband will become a father. We will no longer be a family of two, instead we will be a family of three.  We will be moving back to the United States. Settling into a new home. Living life on a single income.

It is part of my character to always be looking ahead. Instead of living in the moment, I am usually in my head thinking about what the next week or month will bring. How I can prepare for the next stage, the next big step. This year there are so many next stages and next steps, that unless I make a conscious effort, I am sure that I will miss them.

This year I want to work hard to be present in each moment, to enjoy the challenges and joys that each individual hour, day and week bring. If I don’t make a conscious effort to be present, I fear that I may find myself sitting in front of my computer this time next year not knowing what became of the last year, what became of my last six months in Japan, what became of the first 8 months of my son/daughters life.

There are many changes coming. Some of them scare me. Some of them excite me. Some will be easy and some will be very, very hard. But, no matter what, I want to make sure that I experience all of them. I want to experience all of the joys and trials that this year will bring, knowing that no other year in my life will ever be like this one.