At the beginning of 2021, I chose one word to focus on and grow in throughout the year. After a year like 2020, how was I supposed to set goals anyways?

Choosing an intention gives me a little extra dose of flexibility and grace. Before I recap my word of the year, a few highlights from 2021:

• Added Lexi to our family ❤️
• Chased waterfalls around Watkins Glen, NY
• Got vaccinated
• Taught Lexi to talk with buttons
• Took a girls weekend to Annapolis
• Got a “month ahead” in YNAB (You Need A Budget)
• Learned to set better boundaries
• Explored Jordan on a last minute, eye-opening trip

My husband surprising me with a puppy was by far the biggest highlight and has changed our lives in the best ways. Despite 2021 feeling more out of whack for me than 2020, there were still lots of beautiful moments this year.

My word for 2021 was TAPESTRY.

I chose tapestry as my word because it represents design, intention, fluidity, and variety. Life isn’t just one thing — it’s made up of many types of experiences and circumstances. However, before it’s complete, it might seem to anyone other than the artist that it’s full of accidents or mistakes.

I went into this year with the intention to embrace each moment for what it was, not what I ideally wanted it to be. It was a lot harder than I anticipated — mostly because 2021 ended up being a much more difficult year than I expected. There was lots of disappointments, chaos, and conflicts. Every moment didn’t feel beautiful or worth feeling, and I spent a lot of time with unhealthy habits in an attempt to escape the darker feelings.

But in the end, it’s easier to look back over the year and see the beauty instead of inside each hard moment. And that was the point of “tapestry.” That we are the sum of our individual moments. They all matter and are a part of our beautiful design.

Psalm 139:13-14