My word for 2021 is shift. Like everyone I know, I’ve learned a lot, since this time last year. One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that change and uncertainty just are. Since I’m not in control of much more than which yoga pants, Zoom-appropriate top, and slippers I’ll wear each day, I needed to figure out how I could deal with all the change and uncertainty. That’s where shifting comes in.

For me, shifts involve acceptance and adjustment. I know I don’t have much control, but I have unlimited choices. I can shift. 

Some of my recent shifts have been pretty significant. Some have been tiny. Some haven’t happened, yet. And I’m sure I’ll make a lot of shifts I can’t even imagine.

Nancy Barden, is pictured on the left with one of her beloved nephews, Eric. Nancy was born on March 11, 1952 and died on August 12, 2021.

The image on the right is of Nanci Griffith, and her bud, John Prine. Nanci was born on July 6, 1953 and died on August 13, 2021.

Both of these images show these women doing what they did best – loving.

Nancy was a real-life friend. I knew her and, like everyone who knew her, I loved her. She loved life and was a healer of many species. Nancy had The Touch of helping living creatures beat the odds against not only surviving, but of thriving. She shifted many lives of many species. If you’d like to know more about Nancy, click here.

Nanci was a musician, singer, and songwriter. I was one of her many fans. I only saw her in concert once, but it will long remain one of my favorite concerts. Her voice was A Gift. And how she wove words into lyrics was an exquisite gift, too. She shifted many lives with her music and spirit. If you’d like to know more about Nanci, click here.

Nancy and Nanci are like a lot of humans in that neither sought the brightest of limelights. They lived who they were and by doing and being that, their lives created positive shifts. And for that, I am eternally shifted and grateFULL.

What more can any of us hope for? Shift on, dear folk. Shift on.

What kind of shifts have you experienced or witnessed lately?