I choose a watchword for each year, giving me a focus for those twelve months. Last year’s word was Time, and it helped me to define things that were important to me and to spend my time on them. This year’s word is GRACE.

Merriam Webster has several definitions for grace, including: “a disposition to show kindness or compassion; disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency; the quality or state of being considerate or thoughtful; mercy; charity.” Those are all qualities I hope to practice this year.

My mother was a master of grace. She was a lady who showed kindness and courtesy every day. She treated everyone with respect. Mom’s grace made a big impression on people who spent time with her, and she made her corner of the world a better place. Now, it’s my turn.

The last few years have been challenging in many areas, including how we interact with others. I hope that practicing grace will guide me toward compassion even to those I vehemently disagree with. That can lead to finding mutual understanding and common ground. Maybe if we work on those things, we’ll begin to mend the rifts in our society and create a better future. Even if grace doesn’t show results in the short term, it gives me hope for the long term. And that’s another reason to practice grace in 2024.

May 2024 be a good year for all of us!