Choosing A Word
In early December, I consider words that catch my attention at least three times. One of these words usually becomes my anchor for the year.
Words of the year in the past have been: MORE, PUSH, CREATE, WINTERING, BE
For 2025 the word that emerged in different contexts was SPACE.
Personal space
Space I physically occupy
Where I am (physically, mentally, spiritually)
The items of mine that occupy my space
I listen to many podcasts that often spark an idea for writing and thinking. Recently I heard the sentiment: I create space in order to fill it.
What that means to me is, I take out garbage, clutter, stuff, ideas, etc in order to create a hole. It seems to be human nature to fill that space again. Whether I intentionally fill it with something or it becomes a place to set down a random thing seems to be the conundrum.
The joke in my house is that as soon as a space is cleared someone will set something on it. It happens to counters, the top of the freezer, the kitchen table (especially here). I have to clear things off the table in order to set it for dinner every night.
The ideas I have been writing in my notebook for the last month have centered around: What are the questions I am really asking about space here? What is the story underneath this word? What space do I need? What space do I want? What do I want to fill the space with?
Boundaries are what make a space a container. But I do not care for that word. Boundaries make me think mostly about keeping things out.
What if it were a fence? If it is the correct fence, you can see through it.
If I type SPACE in the search option of my Keep app many notes emerge so I know this is not a new pondering for my brain.
According to Oxford the definition of SPACE /spās/ is:
noun
a continuous area or expanse which is free, available, or unoccupied.
"a table took up much of the space"
the dimensions of height, depth, and width within which all things exist and move.
"the work gives the sense of a journey in space and time"
verb position (two or more items) at a distance from one another.
"the poles are spaced 3 feet apart"
January/February
So what did SPACE mean for the first 2 months of the year?
The space coming into 2025 this year was not pleasant. There was a feeling of moving through a powerful threshold on New Year’s Day that caused me to wake up at 5 am on New Years Day in a funk.
Space was created for me to attend a retreat in Mexico where I was able to do the most focused work on a project for a week. I created the intention for the writing of this one project and was able to let everything else fall away for that short space.
February created space for Chris and I to go to Iceland which was fantastic. We both feel amazing there and it caused us to think of what we can incorporate from that experience into every day life. Chris is creating space for a garden in the back here this Spring which is exciting.
I created space for my weekly trips to the library which is fueling for me. I created more spaces for reading. There is always space for writing. I don’t have to think too much about that one. I fill the spaces in notebooks easily.
The space that occupys my teaching work has shifted. The writing school I work with cut my hours and obligations so that time is filled with my personal writing. The change in schedule has felt like a huge adjustment. It has allowed me to offer my own classes which are satisfying and fulfilling to me. I create space to write the Sunday Coffee Share every week consistently and send weekly writing prompts to my subscribers.
How much space I take up in the house with my possessions and activities is forefront in my mind. I have control of most of the kitchen and my desk area in the three season porch. I have my side of the bedroom as well. There still seems like too much stuff for my liking. I cleaned off the desk several times for it to come creeping back into a mess again. I have stacks of library books and my books I am set to read - the breadcrumbs of a creative life.
I feel the changing of the season coming next month will change the space for me. I have been inconsistent with space for me to walk or run. There is space for camping and trips to Canada. There is space for me to teach my Unpublished to Published course.
More plans will emerge as the days move forward, I have no doubt.
It's an interesting concept, Space. In some ways it makes me think of my Mom the gardener - she often talks about the need to cut back plants that grow and multiply - she is ruthless. If I were a gardener I would likely just let things grow wildly. I don't think I'd have the heart to cut a plant in half.
It also makes me think of budgeting. I've heard that in general, the more income people make, the more they spend. Same with houses - if people buy larger houses, they tend to fill them with stuff whether or not they need that space. My Dad always said he is a fan of a 1-bedroom apartment because it's quick and easy to clean, and he doesn't need to accumulate more stuff.
Your post resonates with me the most about creating space for yourself in the world. Holding space. Teaching people how to treat you. Taking up lots of space even if you think you're too big for the space.
I love your musings on space and look forward to seeing how the word progresses in meaning in your life as the year continues.