Category: Heart & Home

Type 1, TrialNet, and Toronto…

Published on by Lindsey B.2 Comments

Three out of four of us are currently tucked into a hotel in downtown Toronto. (The fourth got to enjoy a dinner date with Oma followed by a sleepover before she packs him off to school in the morning.) This country girl loves coming down to the city, but finds it so bright and noisy at night.

We are headed to SickKids tomorrow for our oldest to participate in a follow up study with TrialNet. Once you get through traffic – the DVP always makes me nauseous… three accidents tonight and just a sea of red taillights – it’s a fun little trip until the actual appointment. We come down the night before, enjoy dinner, walk around, use the pool, tuck into bed, wake up, and skip breakfast to begin a morning of blood work. No sleeping in…

Oral glucose tolerance test… lots of labs… and then he’s sent home with a gift card for his services. Wait six months. Repeat.

Why do we put him through this? Because he didn’t “pass” the initial screening, he’s a candidate to help in research towards prevention and treatment of Type 1 diabetes… and hopefully, one day, a cure. If our little efforts can assist so that another family doesn’t have to live with pokes and needles and expensive life-saving medicines, it’s all worth it. (Plus, they’re watching his health at the same time.)

I have been Type 1 for 30+ years and we’ve come a long way, baby! The strides that have been taken since the days of Banting & Best ensure this isn’t a death sentence in most developed countries. However, the disease is time-consuming, expensive, and can have devastating consequences. Even with improved technology, there are days that look like a roller coaster when it comes to blood glucose management.

Case in point: today I woke up in target, had a device issue half way through the morning, corrected with an injection, watched my blood sugar stubbornly sit high for most of the afternoon, (and resisted the rage bolus) only to crash before dinner and then again on the drive down.

Thankfully, after dinner out (Fran’s is delicious!) and a walk downtown (plus two marshmallow bananas), we’re exactly where we should be pre-bedtime. However, I’ll be waking up at least twice through the night to check things again.

This is just one small portion of the thought and planning that goes into anything. Under 5? Can’t drive. Late for work. Drop too low? Migraine for a day. Creeping high? Sore eyes and uncomfortable thirst. Sustained highs? Kidney damage, blindness, and nerve issues.

So if WE can help figure this thing out in a global collaboration with an overnight trip and day off of school? Count us in.

Here’s a poster from Test 1 Drop that you should save. T1D is not to be messed with. Tragedy can be averted if treatment is started early enough. Know the signs and symptoms. Any time your instinct says something is not right, or it’s more than just the flu, ask for a quick finger poke.

Type 1 diabetes IS NOT caused by diet or exercise and is considered an autoimmune disorder. It is different from Type 2, Gestational, and other “diabetes.” While commonly referred to as juvenile diabetes, you can be diagnosed at any age.

I am our why. Our son is our why. My friends are our why. Strangers across the globe are our why. Every family that has lost a loved one to this disease is our why. As the JDRF says… let’s turn Type 1 into type none.

Extraordinary Love {in the Ordinary Moments}

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A few months ago, a global organization issued an invitation to our church for a local pastor’s breakfast. With some of the turnover recently, lack of availability in pastoral staff, and in the efforts of establishing connections, I attended as our representation. When I showed up this morning, (I was maybe a little pleased) there wasn’t a huge turnout (although it’s easier to disappear in a big crowd). After internally freaking out the entire 40-minute commute, this extroverted-introvert was reminded once again that while new social (or any) situations can be awkward, I actually always make it out in one piece without any (horrible) embarrassment.

The main premise of the presentation was thinking beyond the church pew and church building and realising the opportunities to show and share God’s extraordinary moments in the places and with the people in our daily life that we see and/or interact with regularly. Someone might not ever enter a church building, but to them, YOU are the church. It was about overcoming our own personal hangups and seeing that just establishing relationships and living out your faith with honesty and passion is the best way to reach those who are hurting, seeking, or in need of love (and aren’t we all in need of unconditional, boundless love?)

So… while of course, this applies to me from a Christianity-point of view, I also believe that it can apply to humankind in general. How do you connect with people? You interact with them where they are in a very personal and transparent way. A stranger probably isn’t going to join me for lunch in my home, but maybe I can share a table at Tim Horton’s and just strike up a conversation.

What does love, kindness, and building a better world look like to you? Maybe it’s bringing a latte to the secretary at the kid’s school. Maybe it’s making sure you have some extra change or small denomination gift cards on hand before you walk downtown. Perhaps seeing the opportunities means slowing down just a little bit while you go about your routine.

A timely reminder from (in)courage that showed up in my Facebook feed

Maybe foundations are built by finding the thread of commonality and recognizing familiarity (that guy who sits in the corner of McD’s every time you pop in… that mom at the park the same time as you… the neighbour you pass when you’re both out walking your dogs…) It’s making time in our routine to think beyond our isolated, insular existences – maybe it’s actually getting to know the parent who sits beside you at hockey practice in more than a “hey-how’s-it-goin?” kind of way, maybe it’s legitimately asking the waitress at your regular lunch spot about her life, maybe it’s sitting with some seniors at your local care facility listening to their stories. Maybe it’s asking or answering hard questions. Maybe it’s being honest and accessible and authentic.

Maybe making a difference is stepping out in an awkward way that will impact someone else’s day. Sharing extraordinary love is looking for opportunities to be a light in our ordinary days. It’s so true that change begins with us and how we view the world – every person you encounter is a person you can reach. Leave your mark in a positive way – share love, share light, and share faith.

Thinking Outside The Box

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If you live anywhere along the Great Lakes corridor, you were probably blasted with the ice storm. Slippery roads, mix of ice pellets and wet snow, yucky travel conditions. No one was surprised when they cancelled the buses for an inclement weather day yesterday… once again! (I feel like this is a record for January/February. Kaleb’s ski club keeps getting cancelled too – boo to that!)

My kids were home again. Emails and texts went around with leadership at one of my admin contracts regarding programs and meetings today – they were all postponed. I made the decision to work from home. Fortunately, I can tackle some of my essential commitments from the comfort of my couch and it also affords some time to dive into some of the research projects that get pushed to the side. (If you’d like to do a survey on what parents and caregivers look for in a playgroup for toddlers and preschoolers, click here.)

I called a pause to TV watching in the living room because I can only handle so much Spongebob before my irritability rises and my productivity plummets. Besides, the TV watcher had a speech to prepare. We worked side-by-side, laptops in hand, both investing in our projects. We broke for lunch. Then the contractor asked the boys to unpack the new vanity which took all of three minutes and me constantly reminding them to avoid scratching the vanity with their pocket knives, please and thank you.

The Box / 24 Home

We were left with a box. A big, beautiful box. A box in slight shambles and needing some TLC. The 11-year-old has transformed it into a hut of sorts – hinged windows, level on each side, double doors, and a shower mat as the flooring. It’s covered in green painters tape (whatever works) and is currently sitting in the middle of my living room. The construction alone (including things velcroed to the interior walls and ceiling) kept him occupied for hours. And I am thrilled. I am thrilled that he hasn’t outgrown the wonder of imagination. I am thrilled that a cardboard box still provides hours of entertainment. I am thrilled that he gets caught in the excitement of creativity.

I am, however, less than thrilled that I may have agreed to a 24-hour-box-fort-challenge (What? Something he learned on YouTube?) “Mom, you can fill up my water bottle and bring me snacks.” “If I put it the right way, I can still see the TV.” (Apparently, we’re not quite victorious over the screen yet…) “There’s enough room that I can have a pillow and blanket.” “I guess I can leave the box to pee.” (Oh, thank goodness! My relief knows no bounds.) As long as it leaves my living room, he can kill time in his box as long as he’d like to.

Here’s to big boxes and big ideas. Here’s to tape and pocket knives. Here’s to creativity and imagination. Here’s to thinking outside the box or, sometimes, being different enough and confident enough to even stay in it!

Little Bath Reno – Part 1

Published on by Lindsey B.1 Comment

Our home is as old as I am. Unfortunately, she doesn’t show her age as well as I do. She’s a little more grey-haired and creaky-boned than a gal her age should be! She’s practical – ever practical – and does a fantastic job of keeping the elements off our heads (usually), but she seems to need a makeover rather desperately. She’s holding on to some elements of the 80s and she’s been reluctant to give them up (and not the good parts of the 80s like Cabbage Patch Kids or Sesame Street or side ponytails or neon leggings and bodysuits with leg warmers and headbands!) I really need to invest in some good wallpaper stripper – those borders and painted ceilings make me cringe.

When we moved into our home in late 2011/early 2012 we knew we would have some work cut out for us. We had grandiose plans of methodically taking our time and renovating the home on a shoestring budget, transforming the wrinkles and age spots into a comfortable modern, rustic nest. Unfortunately, the budget went to unplanned expenses and methodically became slowly became stalled. We’ve put paint on a few of the walls and my husband started to demo the second bathroom when we were at risk of falling through the floor due to the water damage caused by 30+ years of slow leakage. We’ve replaced hot water tanks, appliances, and our HVAC units. We’ve dealt with failing sump pumps, lawnmower expenses, and budget roof repairs. The house was livable, but not a thing like we envisioned.

After a year of my nagging, I believe Kevin got tired of the pressure regarding the bathroom. Before Christmas, he hired a contractor we know to come in and do the job for us. I am convinced this was a wise decision as the washroom was in worse shape than we realised when we started knocking tiles off the wall. Even though my wallet cries a little every time we make another decision, the overall project will be fabulous when it’s done!

I don’t think the bathroom will have quite the rustic charm I was initially hoping for, but every time I pop my head in to answer a question, I’m blown away by the transformation! No more mould-stained, crumbling and decrepit shower. No more cracked and stained vanity sink. No more ugly lighting. It will be a bright and clean usable space.

Source List:

*Funny story about the paint, I wanted to use the 2019 colour of the year – Blueprint – but I was vetoed. It doesn’t happen often when it comes to the design of a project, but he was having none of it. So I looked at a bunch of swatches in store and didn’t buy a sample can and made my selection. I hemmed and hawed over a ton of paint chips and, wanting to avoid “just grey” again, narrowed it down to two choices – Oceanic Climate or Half Sea Fog. I chose Oceanic Climate – just a shade lighter than Half Sea Fog – on the same sample strip. Then somehow we’re paying at the cash and I notice that it says Half Sea Fog on the can, but can’t remember what I asked for! (Was it my fault? Was it his fault? Did I pass the chip the wrong way? Am I going crazy? Regardless, I am living with the mistake… but not loving it.)

Overall, we’re thrilled with the change in the room. The shower is bigger and brighter (no more dark-tiled hole in the corner) and the finishes are more modern as well. The floors have been grouted today and the plumber is coming on Friday. The finishing touches are going into place this week. Soon it will be THE nicest room in our house and we’ll have two toilets again – which is great because one bathroom was getting rough!

My Own Personal Polar Vortex

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po·lar
/ˈpōlər/adjective
* directly opposite in character or tendency.

synonyms:
opposite, opposed,  opposing,  oppositional,  diametrically opposed,  extreme, contrary,  contradictory,  antithetical,  antagonistic,  conflicting,  counterbalancing;

vor·tex
/ˈvôrˌteks/noun
a mass of whirling fluid or air, especially a whirlpool or whirlwind.

synonyms:
whirlwind,  whirlpool,  gyre,  maelstrom,  eddy,  swirl,  swirling, countercurrent, counterflow;

By mid-Friday afternoon, my brain is beginning to liquefy. I don’t work a traditional 40-50 hour work week. I don’t work a regular 9-5. I don’t work from a single office. I know that I have to be “on” come Sunday. I know I have client projects and prep work to tackle on weekends. I often work from home. I tend to juggle my family life with client obligations and can be found processing spreadsheets, checking emails, and designing flyers surrounded by piles of laundry, a cup of tea on the table, book close at hand, and the beast snoring away wherever he can find a warm comfy spot. (By the beast, I refer to my dog… not my husband. I can see how that last line confused you. The similarities are astounding.)

The flexibility of this arrangement has its perks. Inclement weather day? No problem! I’ll work from home. School assembly? Let me slip out of the office early and add an extra hour on Wednesday. Oh, you need that flyer tomorrow, but just got me the information I need? I’ll work on it after I make dinner, clean dishes, and tuck the kids into bed. You may just have to wait until I get them on the bus in the morning. 

The downfall of being surrounded by the comforts of home while I’m supposed to be productive with other people’s projects, is, honestly, distractions. I have to work hard to balance family life, homemaking, and self-employment and it’s not always as easy as it sounds, especially as some days I resemble the dog in UP. (Squirrel!)

Balance is my own personal polar vortex. Distraction and non-productivity at one end. Hustle and accomplishment at the other.

Log in to Facebook to schedule a client’s updates for the week. Check.
Get distracted by motivational videos. Uncheck.

Fold the laundry and write up the meal plan. Bookmark recipes for later. Check.  Read one chapter before changing the next load. One chapter turns into 4. Uncheck.

Send out an update to support regarding some current client projects. Check.Research relevant information for said projects to support ideas and development. Get lost in a land of Narnia-like proportions with a ton of other ideas to save and develop for later projects. Uncheck.

Some days I get frustrated with my “bounce” – meaning I feel like I give some time to one thing, dive into another, and never quite settle on anything. Things get done… but it’s not all housework at once, or business at once, or sit and watch a movie without doing something else.

However, I’m learning to give myself grace. I’ve come to realise that just because I don’t follow a linear plan, it doesn’t mean I’m doing things wrong. I rely on checklists and if my to-do lists are being accomplished even if it means a few chapters of reading, followed by a load of laundry, followed by some document review, with some unscheduled brownie making or a lunch date with myself before I pick a new camp curriculum, that’s okay. No one is hungry. No one is waiting for important documentation. No one is losing hours from me (in fact, I’m probably owed some…) No one is hurt by my methods, so why do I allow myself to feel inferior as I juggle as best I can? I need grace.

I give myself grace to: allow myself to research. To pin. To dream. To follow rabbit trails. That’s okay.

I give myself grace to: take moments of rest. To find elements of humour. To be inspired by a blog, or devotional, or Facebook video. That’s okay.

I give myself grace to: fold ten loads of laundry. Forget one in the washer. Rinse. Repeat. That’s okay.

I give myself grace to: sit down for a reading session in the afternoon. Cook dinner. Spend time with my family. Ignore the emails pinging in after 7pm. That’s okay.

I give myself grace to: ignore the laundry basket. Ask the kids to quietly play elsewhere while I work. Leave the dishes in the sink. Develop a new flyer. Strategize a teaching plan. Update a product catalogue or website. That’s okay.

I give myself grace to: recognize that there is always room for improvement, but unreasonable expectations and pressure isn’t for me. Know that I work in my own way and am still productive even if my version of productivity isn’t the same as societal norms. Embrace rest, and boundaries, and balance amidst the hustle to get things done. Recognize that my own personal polar vortex may look like a whirlwind of chaos and a dizzying array of unrelated tasks to the outside world, but it works for me. That’s okay.

Snow Day Sanity

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We’ve had three snow days – AKA inclement weather days – in the last week and a bit. I’ll admit that with the drama of yesterday, when I heard bus transport was canceled again, the thought of having them underfoot made me quiver.

Fortunately, we’ve had heat and hydro and haven’t been truly snowed in. One day the roads were a bit slick. We weren’t truly stuck at home, but who wants to head out when the weather is icky?!

Since my boys started at this school, in JK and Grade 1, they’ve been bussed. There was a period of time that I would drive in as I helped with the breakfast program and they would bus home. Our policy has always been that if the bus is cancelled, they can stay home.

This has been easier for us than for others due to the flexibility of being self-employed with tasks I could do from home. Childcare has not been an issue. Boredom, however, can be a big one.

So how do we bust the snow day boredom? We become a bit more lenient with the screen time with movies, game systems, and YouTube. Not wanting to zombify the boys, however, we try to balance the electronics with other activities.

Here are some of our tried and true boredom busters:

  • Puzzles – the bigger, the better!
  • Board games
  • Books (they don’t love this one, but I still make them do it.)
  • Play outside or go explore in the woods (weather permitting)
  • Baking
  • Chores (another one they don’t love!)
  • Lego (not as popular anymore)
  • Cooking shows or wildlife shows (yes, it’s screentime but it isn’t superheroes or Spongebob.)
  • crafts or painting

I don’t think parents need to entertain their children every second of the day and boredom is great for spurring creative. I don’t see a problem with offering a list of suggestions though and spending some time interacting and making memories.

What are your go-to snowy day activities? What activities do you enjoy doing together? How do you survive snow day madness?

Deep In the Trenches

Published on by Lindsey B.1 Comment

I always read about the mamas with toddlers who are seemingly stuck in the trenches, whether stay at home or working. They’re fighting a battle to remember their own identities while helping beautiful little humans find their own. They’re juggling sippy cups and missing socks and finger paints on the walls and mashed carrots on the floor and diaper cream in the most unexpected places… never mind the joys of potty training.

As I reflect on these mamas, I breathe a slightly smug sigh of relief and think we survived intact. I miss the cuddles and the mispronunciations. I don’t miss the temper tantrums, need for naps, and stubborn I can do it myself independent attitudes that mean everything takes 3 times as long. My kids are well past these stages when the days can feel so long, exhausting, and sometimes just hard.

And then I enounter a day like today, and a light bulb goes off as I realise I’m still chin deep in the trenches, staring parenthood in the face while fears and tears and situations escalate. Arguments about snow pants and breakfast choices and whether it’s necessary to brush their teeth. (It is.) Questions about why they didn’t have their backpacks ready the night before when they’ve been asked to do this every day of their school years thus far. Why didn’t you feed the dog? (“I slept in and then I forgot!”) Day becomes dinner and the battles over chores and meals and the sibling start again.

I lose my cool while silently berating myself on the inside for losing my cool. Threats are made and grow exponentially and I can’t cave because then the point is lost. Next thing I know my kid is ready to move in with Oma. (If he makes it to your place, Mom, pile on the chores and make him eat dinner and no junk food and go back to dial-up, k? He doesn’t believe we grew up with rules when we lived under your roof.)

So now my heart (and head) is pounding, a kid is crying into his soup, and the internet is gone. There’s a lot of disappointment festering from the kitchen table and I’m not sure my dishes will survive when the dishwasher is emptied. While I may have won the battle, I question whether I’m actually the victor. We’re living in a house that’s just happy, happy, happy…

Maybe one day he’ll be engaged in conflict with his own teen or pre-teen. He’ll recall the time that I made him eat healthy dinners and not live off of junk food; the time I reminded him that as a parent who has done nothing to betray him, I’ve earned his respect; that being a part of a family comes with responsibilities and love before it comes with privileges like screentime and sleepovers. He’ll understand and appreciate the importance of showers and face wash and being a contributing member of society.

Maybe that day he’ll be locked in a stare down and his kid will hold his own in a very vocal disagreement. Of course, said kid will be tall enough to stare him in the eyes. He’ll wince, dagger to the heart, when he hears that this kid wants to live with me instead.

Maybe that will be the day that he’ll realise parents never leave the trenches. That every day is a battle to find balance between stability and independence, freedom and frustration, while hoping our failings and frailties haven’t scarred them for good. Every day of parenthood we’re doing our best but sometimes our best is a little broken. He’ll remember the love and the purpose behind the rules and reasons. Maybe he’ll look back, feeling a little battered and bruised from this latest test of wills, and will realise that those toddler days really weren’t so bad…

Winter’s Tale

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I am not the biggest fan of winter. For a Canadian girl living near the Great Lakes, I question how people survive the more extreme climates and entirely understand the snowbirds departure every fall. I truly must remember that every season has its perks and challenges.

The first glimpses of change with the pages turning on the calendar invoke awe and wonder – a sense of excitement with every new bud on a tree, the sun warm enough to lounge in, the leaves majestic in their autumn splendor. Unfortunately as the seasons progress we lose appreciation for the same things that once excited us.

The scent of a rainy spring day doesn’t evoke the urge to jump in puddles, but instead we complain about the mud. The warmth of the summer sun is no longer a blessing, but a curse as the sweat rolls off our brow. The golden foliage of fall becomes a reminder of dark and damp days. We crave a return to the season we left or impatiently wait for the next season’s arrival, hopelessly bound to that innate disastisfaction for where we are and we lose admiration for the season we’re in.

For me, winter is the hardest season. It’s cold, barren, bitter. The fresh crisp days and freshly fallen snow that made me exclaim in delight with the first arrival are no longer reflections of light and purity, but inconvenient, lonely and isolating. The pristine snow-covered fields are now windblown and stained, the days long in dreariness but short in warmth and sunlight.

But winter is necessary – as necessary as the sun in summer. In winter, nature is at rest. It’s completed its cycle of growth and productivity for another year and it replenishes as it prepares for the following spring. The trees are naked and ugly. The gardens are bare and useless. The ground is no longer lush and vibrant. While I enjoy short bursts outdoors to clear my mind and get fresh air, I tend to bury myself indoors and cocoon myself away bemoaning the forecast of ice and snow and frigid temperatures. However, all my useless complaints aside, the earth is healing and silently preparing for the changes to come in the near future.


As with every season, winter will not last forever – whether it’s the season on a calendar or a winter of your heart. The spring will return with signs of growth and beauty, blossoming into fullness and maturity and eventually preparing to rest once again.

Maybe you feel like you’re stuck in a season of winter. You feel isolated and barren. Your purpose seems lost. The days are long and dreary as you merely cycle through mindlessly waiting for some sign of life. You are weighted down by the mundane. But this season you’re in? It’s really a season of rest – a season vital to upcoming growth. Just accept that it’s a chance to recharge and replenish and find solace in solitude and strength in serenity before you face change once again.

Perhaps you don’t feel like your stranded in a season of cold and staleness. Perhaps you’re seeing the first inklings of a dream coming true and now impatiently want to see the full development. Or you’re thick in the midst of a project or stage that has you gasping for air and you crave a chance to cool down. Take note of the season you’re in and know that it too serves a purpose in a cycle of continuous maturing.

Appreciate the beauty of your season and wait with hope for each purposeful moment in the journey through spring showers, sun-drenched summer, autumn bounty, and even winter storms. Without winter, we have no spring, without spring, no summer… don’t lose delight in your season, but recognize it for the greater purpose it serves… as Ecclesiastes says, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven;”

Monday, Fun-day!

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If you live anywhere in the Great Lakes area, generally speaking, you’ve probably been hit with the cold snap of the year. (I’m not exactly sure how far this crazy cold extended through North America, but I know that the GTA is cold!) School buses were cancelled last night in anticipation of the extreme weather and beasties were running outside to do their business as fast as they can. I *thought* I had pre-heated my car this morning (hello, remote start!), but it turns out my battery was protesting as much as my kids. (Even if I had won the battle to drive them to school on my way to work, Mother Nature had other plans.)

Now… what’s one day off of school? Well, let me remind you that we’ve had sick days, PA days, and now an inclement weather day. I love the slight sleep-in, but oh my word, I need the routine of regular school days. I love my boys dearly, but they know how to push my buttons!

I worked from the comfort of my kitchen table and eventually my couch. I got things done! The kids agreed if they stayed home from school, they would pitch in around the house (before we knew that I had no way of getting them there.) They got things done. We got things done… then it was a battle to pry them away from screens for the rest of the day.

Our youngest, 11 years old, has been watching cooking shows – Top Chef, Chopped, Nailed It, and SugarRush. These binges always result in his wanting to explore his culinary talents, until he gets bored, at least. Today, he decided he wanted to bake a cake. Good in theory, but I said I wasn’t doing it for him – I would guide him through the recipe, but the work was up to him. Also, I was supposed to do groceries today, and the staples cupboard was pretty bare – we didn’t even have milk.

He pulled out my well-worn BHG cookbook – my go-to for some basic recipes. (It looks something like this… maybe not the same edition?!) He found a chocolate cake recipe and decided this would be his ambitious trial for the day. Man, that kid knocked my socks off. He read through the recipe, pulled out the ingredients, measured and mixed, and put them in the oven. I helped him identify when they were ready to pull out, but he did the bulk of the work with a few learn-by-example steps along the way.

He’s a very opinionated boy – especially when he’s being creative. He wanted a butterscotch filling. So I managed to make a butterscotch pudding to use between layers of the two rounds. First time for me! He also required chocolate icing and wanted to melt down a mix of chocolate & butterscotch chips left over from our Christmas baking to drizzle on top. When it was all put together, I was seriously impressed – for a first attempt at baking a cake – and a layer cake at that – he rocked it!

It was a little dry, but I still cannot believe how well he did. It’s not the prettiest cake in the world, but it’s edible and yummy! A little slice goes a long way. So amidst the chaos of a mad Monday, we made some more memories, practised some life skills, and managed not to freeze any body parts off! (Also, I never lost my cool…) All in all, I’d consider that success… and seeing his confidence sore? It might have had me beaming in pride!

Delight

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Back at the beginning of January (so long ago!), I took the Dayspring 2019 Your Word of the Year Quiz. I don’t put a lot of hope and promise into these things but was interested in seeing what came up. I took the quiz again tonight (because I couldn’t remember my word – ha – apparently I need to work on retention!) Delight. My word for 2019 is ‘delight.’ I honestly thought it might be rest, or peace, or strength, but no – it’s ‘delight.’

My Word of the Year – Dayspring

I don’t associate deeply with this word. It doesn’t bring up any heartfelt connotations or even make me really truly feel like, yes, delight, it is THE word that speaks to me. It just doesn’t… but maybe I haven’t looked at it deeply enough?

I dug into the dictionary. Oxford Dictionary describes delight as both a verb and a noun, most definitions having to do with pleasure – finding pleasure in something, causing pleasure, great pleasure itself.

The synonyms, however, are what tickled my fancy!

  • please greatly, charm, enchant, captivate, entrance, bewitch, thrill, excite, take someone’s breath away
  • gladden, gratify, appeal to, do someone’s heart good, entertain, amuse, divert
  • take great pleasure, find great pleasure, glory, revel, luxuriate, wallow
  • adore, love, relish, savour, enjoy greatly, lap up
  • pleasure, happiness, joy, joyfulness, glee, gladness, gratification, relish, excitement, amusement
  • bliss, rapture, ecstasy, elation, euphoria
  • transports of delight

So maybe we can make this work? Perhaps for 2019 I can make delight my word. I can find charm in everyday moments. I can do someone’s heart good through acts of kindness. I can revel in my accomplishments and reinforced boundaries. I can savour time alone to rest and recharge. I can discover joy in my family. I can discover elation in the company of my friends. I can live in transports of delight as I walk in strength and grace and patience and revelation.

Yes, I think ‘delight’ is quite a wonderful word for 2019 and I can’t wait to find new opportunities of delight – and ways to delight others – throughout the year! And perhaps, as I look to find delight in the life I’ve been given and all of its blessings, He will delight in me, too!