new year tradition: in a word

as i mentioned in my new year's eve post, i have a tradition that i started when i first moved to san francisco.

on the last day of the year, i sit in my studio and create a magical bag full of words to share...

i carry this bag with me throughout the evening and offer it to people with the following statement:

this is a bag of words.

would you like to choose one?

it is up to you what to do with it.

you could embrace it as a mystical message for the year ahead.

you could simply ponder its meaning for a moment.

you could peek at it, laugh, and recycle it

at the nearest waste receptacle.

it's up to you...would you like to choose one?

it gives me such joy when people choose a word from the bag.

there are always a variety of responses: delight, silence, laughter, confusion, and recognition.

i often hear enthusiastic stories, explanations of personal meaning, and ruminations on possibilities for the coming year.

some people forget this word completely after pulling it from the bag, and some people still have this word in their wallet from many years ago.

i truly love this interaction and exchange between two humans on the verge of a new year.

at some point in the evening, i always choose my own word from the bag.

my word this year is...

this word makes complete sense to me for the year ahead and i was thrilled to be holding it in my hand.

i still have a few words left in my magical bag, and i would really love to give them to anyone who wants to participate.

would you like me to choose a random word out of the bag for you?

if so, i will pull one from the bag, photograph it, and email it to you!

leave me a comment with your information and i will send you your word.

what you do with it is up to you...