I picked the word “Desire” as my 2024 word of the year.

It proved to be tough word, but a one that stuck with me more often than it floated off like past years.

I didn’t indulge every desire. In fact, more of my effort was spent trying to identify my desires than making them come to pass. It’s hard work for an enneagram 9.

Paying attention to my desires is a gift I haven’t given myself for decades. I used to think this was very pious of myself. I wore it like a badge of honor.

“Oh don’t worry about me!” “I’m good with whatever!” “I’m flexible!”

All of these things are true about me. But I have also spent a lot of my life robbing myself of the very human and fulfilling experience of wanting anything out of my life.

I love when things are obvious.

That means there’s an obvious solution - even if it’s a painful one like the tonsillectomy in my son’s future.

An obvious problem is a fixable problem.

But - the big *but* - not all problems are obvious.

I freaking love watching my kids, they teach me so much. My favorite thing to watch is when they are discovering something new and amazing. This happens at lot at the Science Center or the Aquarium. They are face to face with something so new and wild that their brains have never imagined before. Their eyes move over their new discovery a million times as they compute what it is they are seeing. Their faces are a combination of peace and amazement. They are unthreatened by the fact that their smallness has never anticipated such a thing, they are grateful to be there discovering this new thing in that moment. Their wonder is often followed up with "Mommy, look at this!" an invitation into the wonder they are experiencing. And I always join. I LOVE IT. This year, I'm joining my kids in the hunt for awe-filled wonder and I hope to invite them into my own discoveries, too.