My word for 2016 is ATTEND.
Although I don’t think attending is a superpower, some days I wish it was. On those days, I think if one more person promises that he or she has the superpower to right all wrongs and save US from THEM, I daydream about sticking a pencil in my (or someone else’s) eye. On my better days, however, I choose to acknowledge that while I have no superpowers and am responsible TO the World – I’m not responsible FOR it. I’m responsible FOR my life and how I choose to live it.

To that end, I will attend to what and whom I can. And I’ll remember that I don’t have to attend every argument, drama or political whack-o-doodleness to which I’m invited. Each Sunday , I’ll share something here – an image, a poem, a song or maybe even a story that’s helped me attend to what I can that week.

I scheduled two days this week for myself.  That may seem odd and even selfish.  Years ago, it seemed odd and selfish to me, too.  I live a fairly uncomplicated life.  My schedule is my own.  Why not just leave open space on my calendar and use it for what I need?  I found that open space was gobbled-up by More Important Things. 

So I started adding myself to my own calendar. That worked well, for a while. Then I allowed myself to get Too Busy with More Important Things and stopped adding myself.  The summer heat is reminding my body that it has MS in it.  And after 25 years riding this MS dragon, I know that if I don’t stop – just stop, my body will stop me.

I’m guessing I’m not alone. Many of you probably get too busy to attend to yourself, too.  I’m also guessing that many of you are riding your own dragons – ones that will stop you if you don’t stop yourself first.  So I’m wondering, how do you attend to yourself?