SJT: A Redux for 2024

I refused to join in the OLW (one little word) reveals for Tuesday's Slice of Life, choosing a slower, gentler approach to the new year. I was startled to realize that Thursday's Spiritual Journey theme was (you guessed it!) our OLW for 2024. I toyed with connect and more (I do love that rhyming phrase, More in 24!). It didn't take me long to realize that I wanted more  time with gather. It got stuffed into a moving box as we prepped for our cross country move from Washington to North Carolina and then stashed in the attic as we focused on unpacking essentials, finding new health care providers, and learning our way around our new community.

I've enjoyed showcasing my words for each year in this poem-in-progress. This is my twelfth year to choose a word for the year.

 

Listen to the stillness,

Savor the present moment,

Stretch to grow, and always 

Abide in His love to 

Nourish my soul and reach out in love. 

 

Delight in small moments and simple pleasures,

Try, a gentle word inviting growth and change.

Light becomes a beacon during diff icult times,

Comfort wraps me in a year of coping with loss,

Clear leads to downsizing challenges and big changes.

 

Gather gets lost in a cross country move,

Gather stands firm to find its new groove.

-Ramona Behnke

 

I've never reused a word, but gather deserves more space in my heart and life. Here's the poem I composed in 2023 that I'll keep with one line added for 2024:

 

 What Will I Gather in 2024? 

Words, Moments, Stories

Wonders, Revels, Enchantments

Photos, Empty Boxes, Loose Ends

Friends, Loved Ones, Ancestors 

Hope, Goodness, Faith

Laughter, Love, Light

- Ramona Behnke

 

I can't step away from 2023 without highlighting a delightful gathering of friends for a book club trip to mark 25 years together. I wrote about this November gathering here.

Margaret at Reflections on the Teche is hosting our gathering for this first month of 2024. I'm arriving three days late. Pop over to read posts of fellow travelers sharing their spiritual journeys. We welcome all to join us.