2017 Word of the Year is…{drumroll}

Some think a “word of the year” is a bit hokey.

That’s cool.

I tend to like the word-of-the-year trend. It gives me a singular focus, a word that encapsulates all my new year’s resolutions, Lenten promises, life goals and everything else, into one.

I thought long and hard about what I wanted to accomplish this year, but not so much about the word. Initially, I thought I might go with “deep,”as in, going deeper into my relationships with friends, family, kids and spouse, rather than just staying on the fringes. That led me to “authenticity” as another option. People can certainly disagree with me (totally fine!) but I never want someone to call me a fraud. I tend to worry about that a bit with the advent of social media. Maybe we all do??

But as much as I loved what those words meant to me personally, this one kept bubbling to the surface:

And I big heart-eyed emoji love it.

Yes, I desire more authentic relationships with the people in my life. Those take time and effort and sincere love. And when I invest that into them, they flourish. My heart is calling me to seriously discern a bigger writing project (what that looks like I have no idea), but I know by writing with authenticity, my written skills will flourish. By silencing the phone more and whittling down the likes and follows on social media, I can be more present to the people I’m tasked to get to heaven. We all flourish then. Last June, I began a concentrated effort to get my physical house in order. It has taken time, money, commitment and will power, but my body is flourishing because it can do so much more now than before! Great marriages don’t just happen. The time in Europe this fall allowed me to see, once again, why I love Mr. Whitaker so very much. While we can’t jet off to Europe every year – le sigh – we can say yes to building a marriage that lasts. I want my children to see my love for their dad flourish. And, most importantly, by refocusing my center on God and walking away from gossip, steering clear of judgment and meeting people where they are, I can flourish spiritually. Today, I’m guest insta-storying over on the Blessed is She instagram feed sharing just what that spirituality looks like on a day-to-day basis here at Casa Whitaker.

Life isn’t roses and I don’t expect 2017 to simply hand me opportunities so I can be some narcissistic holy roller. Who wants to be friends with that girl? Hint: not me.

In my heart, I believe people are intrinsically good. Sometimes we have to look past our faults to see past theirs. I pray for many things, but this year, I’m praying for my own ability to flourish through all the joys and challenges, awesomeness and disappointments. Life’s too short to live it any other way.

2017, here we come!