REVERB#10-reflect on this year and manifest what's next

(photo taken this Summer in Va.)

Dr. Brene Brown has an amazing reflection and manifestation post on her blog; I always go there when I need a serious dose of ordinary courage! Head on over to read her thoughts or participate on your own blogs...Either way; this time of year is just perfect for this sort of reflective thinking! So here was the question that was posed by Gwen Bell:

Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Now...imagine that it is year from today; what would you like the word to be that captures 2011?
So, for me, the year 2010 can be captured in one word: challenging! In 2 words...very challenging!! With so much going on right from the start...Tim's shoulder surgery that was difficult and painful, , a huge learning curve with setting up my creative biz, my family being apart for so much of the year, packing out our home and moving (again!!)...all this while trying to keep up with Tara transitioning into her toddler years!! Oh yes...challenging!

                                                (August in Va...serious girl Tara and mommy)

But oh!! the magical gifts of this year were unexpected and seriously good...my marriage grew stronger through this time (Tim and I have always worked so well together but now we really had to depend on each other more than ever), I developed small bits and pieces of confidence as I did very difficult things that I never thought I could ever do(I set up my own website!! ), real connections and friendships started developing through my blog...I became more and more...mySELF!! And this blog (what I now feel is a very sacred space) has been the most amazing thing! It has challenged (there's that word again!!) me creatively and intellectually, exposed me to so many kind and creative souls and has freed me up in so many ways. The best gift of all this year has been watching my Tara grow...it just shatters my heart with sad sweetness to see all her small (and big) steps ...sweetness because I am so proud and such sadness because she is growing up so fast (she said "love you" for the very first time the other day!!...oh! what that did to me!) .Now...how about you? what one word would describe your year? Share it over here or on Brene's blog or in your journal or...
The word I hope to describe 2011? Blooming! I want to bloom in every way. I would like to fully claim all parts of mySELF; the hidden pieces, the broken pieces...the funny, vulnerable, honest, gifted, sad, articulate, creative, lovely, bold, ugly...pieces. I want to gather up all of these parts and quilt them together...I want to be in full bloom. What about you?

                                                               (Soul in Bloom, mixed media)