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.

In my faith tradition, today is the first Sunday of Advent.  Advent is a season observed in many Western Christian churches as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas. The term is a version of the Latin word meaning “coming”.  One way many of us attend Advent is our Advent wreath, four simple candles – three blue (or purple) and one pink (to honor the joy of Mary).  Last night, I was preparing my Advent Wreath.  Attending.  Then I realized I didn’t have the right amount of blue/purple or pink candles. I live in an idyllic place, but a place where 24-hour in person shopping isn’t available.  No worries.  I did have enough extra purple, blue and pink candles to embellish the white taper candles I did have.

So I’m ready to step into Advent ~the season where we await the birth of Jesus, Christmas. I’m ready to Wait for the Miracle of a birth that will change the world forever. And I’m ready to breathe deeply, in faith, hope, and not knowing. I guess that’s what attending is all about.

What kind of attending have you witnessed or experienced lately?