Patience in Real Life

(January... also known as the month my word started following me around)

My word for this year is Patience.

I know this because it keeps finding me.

If I don’t think about it myself, my husband reminds me.
If he doesn’t, I read about it.
And if that doesn’t happen, my desk calendar will show me a cartoon about... yes: patience!

At this point, I’m pretty sure I chose the right word. Or maybe it chose me.

What makes it funny is the small moment when I suddenly notice it.
Ploink.
Oh yes. That again.

I’m not very impatient with other people. I can wait. I can listen.
But with myself?
Not so much.

I want things to move forward.
I want answers to come quickly.
I want my body, my ideas, and my writing to cooperate.

And when they don’t, my first thought is often: I’ll just stop.
That’s usually when my word shows up again.

Patience.

I write about it in a light way here, but inside it doesn’t always feel light. This word also stays with me during long medical searches, in ongoing conversations with doctors, and in waiting for answers that take much longer than I expected.

So yes, my word is doing its work.
It keeps appearing.
It keeps interrupting me.
And often, it makes me smile when I realize what’s happening.

Ploink.
Oh yes. Patience.

P.S. I made the image with ChatGPT by literally telling it what I wanted — out loud, in quotes, with many small instructions. This is the result. What do you think?

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👉 Curious what other One Words look like? Take a look here: 3 Simple Ways to Begin the Year Gently