And this year's word is . . .

I don’t know how – or why – this word got stuck in my head last night. But there it is and there is not much I can do about it.

ANTICIPATION

Just like the kid with the ketchup bottle, we wait with impatient anticipation for something really good. Or we sit on the edge of our seats, holding our breath in anticipation of some news. Or we just plain look forward to tomorrow or the next day. We wonder when the sun will come out. We wonder when the snow will melt. We wonder if we will ever see green grass again.

I have always lived in anticipation. I love to plan. I love to look at the calendar and try to figure out what to do on my next day off. I search the internet plotting trips to places like Michigan and Missouri. I count the days until we can jump in the car and my planning comes to life. I page through the calendar and mark any day when anything is supposed to happen.

ANTICIPATION

And if I have nothing to look forward to, if there are no vacations on the horizon, no family gatherings on the calendar, nothing to count down to, I get pretty bummed out.

This year, however, I am going to thrive on my anticipation. If there is nothing in the works, I will anticipate tomorrow’s sunrise, I will anticipate kicking my shoes off at the end of the day, I will anticipate a peaceful evening on the couch.

I can live for today, but I will anticipate tomorrow!