New Year’s Collage: Tuesday's Reflection

I waited. And then I waited some more.

What would my Word of the Year be? Several of my spiritual directees seemed to have discovered their word for the year. During recent sessions we discussed how the word "appeared" to them and how the word might be a guiding star in the coming year.

Last year my word was "spaciousness," and the word before that was "devotion." Those words escorted and supported me during those years, sometimes illuminating steps along the way. Part of my  entry into the new year last year was to create a collage to illustrate the word of the year, and I was eager to do that again, BUT no word of the year had yet appeared.

What should I do?

Make a collage now, silly woman. Don't wait.










I sorted through a folder of images gathered from magazines, old calendars, and greeting cards and set aside the ones that appealed to me in the moment; a quick process in which I did not analyze or question my choices. Just as intuitively, I narrowed the possibilities for my collage and started cutting and pasting:
                   * A swath of blue
                   * An African American quilt --bands of oranges, 
                     fuschias, and other bright colors
                   * An empty garden bench
                   * Chunks of colorful chalk
                   * The painting of a bridge over water
                   * Several small spirals
Over those bits and pieces I placed the cut out of an intricate tree; its branches decorated with birds, blossoms, and musical notes--all in bright colors as well. 

Voila--done! I was surprised by the amount of color in this new collage, especially compared to last year's, which is quite subdued, except for the splash of sunflowers. The 2019 collage even intentionally left some space empty. That is not the case with the recent collage. 

What do I make of this new collage? I am struck by the liveliness of the images, the richness and the variety and brightness of the colors. I also see movement there --in the spirals, the wavy bars of color, and I sense vibrations in the tree branches. At the same time the bench invites me to stillness--there is room for someone to join me. Finally, I am drawn to the bridge, especially the arch under the bridge, a passageway, an opening. 

Alas, my word for 2020 remains unknown. Perhaps I won't have a word of the year or perhaps the word won't be revealed until March or April, but what I have in the meantime is an ongoing invitation to a vibrant and full life. I hung the collage near my desk in the garret, and I trust its energy will encourage and guide me. More will be revealed in time. 

Sometimes waiting is exactly what we need to do, but sometimes it is important to take the next step without knowing all the answers. 

An Invitation
Are you waiting for a certain answer or the "right" conditions? What would happen if you bypassed your expectation and moved forward? I would love to know.