In the past few days, I’ve started to see people post their #oneword for 2022. I saw wonderful words popping up in my Twitter feed after my dear friend and soul sister, Barbara Bray posted hers along with a blog post to explain it. PURPOSE is her #oneword2022 and rightly so for her since she gives us all purpose by guiding us through these difficult times with her experience and wisdom. I also saw words like TRUTH, EVOLVE, REFLECTIVE, RESPONDABILITY, and more.
In 2019, my #oneword was Transitions. I retired mid-way through the year, my youngest got married and bought a house in the US. My younger son started his MBA in the US. My nest was totally empty.
In 2020, my #oneword was Belonging. I had started blogging about my experiences and life in Kuwait and discovered my sense of belonging. I started learning more about this human need and realized so much about my own identity and life.
In 2021, my #oneword was Advocate (noun and/or verb). With the #BlackLivesMatter movement raging and my experiences mentoring and supporting refugee teachers and students, I was aware of all my white privilege had afforded me and that my role needed to be one of advocacy and speaking out. Calling others in and using my listening for understanding to bring communities together.
My #oneword2022 is Journey
In 2022, my #oneword is JOURNEY. Along with my recently published book, Journey to Belonging: Pathways to Well-Being, and my podcast, Journeys to Belonging, I have discovered there are a variety of ways we can look at feeling a sense of belonging. I’ve also realized that we are all on a journey to find ourselves. Some are able to figure it out faster because, I believe, they either have a naturally reflective nature or they have a friend, relative, or partner that is supporting their journey. I’m blessed because my husband is my partner on this journey. He’s my friend and my cheerleader. Let me tell you that without his support, I’d still be unhappy and depressed. I would never have found my sense of belonging. I will also tell you that we’ve had our ups and downs over the past 37 years we’ve been married. There were times when I almost walked away from our relationship. We often misunderstood each other’s intentions and we were quick to perceive certain behaviors as confrontational. Then, after my children left Kuwait to find their opportunities and live their adult lives with their partners, my husband and I had to work out what our relationship was without the kids as our focus. It was a big transition and we weren’t communicating our needs or our feelings very well, so I sought help from a therapist and am grateful to her for the advice and counsel she gave me and my husband (who wasn’t so keen to see a therapist at first but was willing to join me to “help me”; now that’s true love).
In truth, all of my #onewords are still applicable for 2022, but I’ve chosen Journey because I feel that I’m now on this long and winding trail trying to find myself and my identity. I’m still searching for ways to spend my “golden” years post-retirement while continuing to learn, stretch myself, and challenge my perceptions about myself and others.
Journey also relates to traveling. I want to travel to places where I can visit friends and family I haven’t seen in many years. I hope the current pandemic will eventually subside and I’ll be able to visit Kakuma, Kenya to meet the amazing refugee leaders I’ve been supporting and mentoring for several years. I look forward to traveling with my husband who retired in 2006 and explore new places with him. I want to meet all the amazing educators I’ve met on social media but haven’t met in real life.
And finally, I want to share my journey with all of you, and I want to continue hearing your amazing stories of your journey to belonging. If you’d like to share your story on an upcoming podcast episode, fill in the form (https://forms.gle/kGu2jbUjXzQmagtx6) and I’ll contact you to schedule. I’ve learned so much from each of my guests.
I hope you’ll take this journey with me. It’s been tough for everyone and even tougher for some, but don’t lose faith. There are better days ahead and I’m here to guide you, act as your cheerleader, and share my knowledge and experience. Just reach out and I’ll be there for you.
