Gratitude

I. Am. Tired! It’s been an extremely busy second half of the year. Fortunately, the winter break has already begun and I’m truly grateful for it. So, here are my last random things for the year:

1. Unpredictable Weather

We had glorious snow a few weeks ago, and I was almost ready to take my skis out. That snow is now gone but hopefully not for long as it is a permanent feature in some parts of the country.

2. The Mailbox

If you’ve send me letters (poetry books) and I haven’t acknowledged receipt, my apologies I’m not being rude. We had a postal strike here that saw a prime minister resign. I’ll let my fellow countryman, Trevor Noah, tell you about the new prime minister because he does it best. But I’ll say this, each time a woman rises to a leadership position, I celebrate! Anyway, I’m still waiting for delivery on both fronts.

3. A Word for 2020

In recent years, I’ve gotten into a habit of coming up with a word that serves as a guide and anchor. This year’s word was simplify, and I did. But that’s a post for another day.

4. On Looking Deeply

“You do not need to be a poet to see a cloud in a piece of paper.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

So, if I’m quiet and you don’t see me around the blogs, I’m probably looking deeply into the nature of things and working on my guiding word for the next year.

5. Gratitude

On that note, I’d like to say THANK YOU for reading and supporting my writings, as well as sharing your stories with me. It’s been a great year, overall.

Wishing you and your loved ones a magical and restful holiday season!

Khaya Ronkainen
Khaya Ronkainen is a writer, poet and creative professional. Her blog focuses on all things poetry and creative nonfiction.

18 Comments

  1. Khaya, a beautiful finale post for 2019! I love the line-up for the new Finnish government – may other countries look and learn! I wish the new PM luck … and hopefully your mail problems will all be sorted!

    Enjoy finding your word guiding word for the New Year. You’ve inspired me to look within for one too.

    Wishing you a magical, enriching holiday break … and look forward to seeing your around in 2020! xx

  2. The weather is doing strange things around here, too. Nature and her mood swings seem to be getting more erratic (either that, or climate change is not a hoax *cough*).

    Simplicity feels like a very wise word to dance with these days.

  3. That was a good post. The weather has been a bit wacky around me since it’s been a bit warm with some fits of snow here and there. Have a great season, a happy new year, and a happy new decade as well!

  4. Thank you so much, Annika. I’m glad to hear I’ve inspired you to think about your guiding word too. Enjoy the season! xx

  5. The weather is strange, I tell you! I’d to believe climate change is not hoax, Maga.

    And yes, simplify proved to be a word I actually needed this year. I hope to write about the areas in which I needed to simplify things most, at a later stage.

  6. No problem, Khaya! It’s fine today right now, but I do hope to enjoy the rest of the season regardless.

  7. “Boundaries” sounds like a really good choice. I believe we writers must have some healthy (internal and external) boundaries in order to guard our writing dreams. I’m really glad you thinking about your word!

  8. What a lovely post, Khaya. Simplify/gratitude, both wonderful words to use as guides. And it sounds like you have a positive choice for prime minister. I hope the US makes a good choice in 2020 too. Happy Holidays, my friend.

  9. “Looking deeper into the nature of things” –YES!! I can see you doing this. Until reading your post I didn’t know that choosing a word for the year was a thing although I gave up making resolutions many years ago. And you gotta know I love your word “simplify” and I adore Magalay’s comment “Simplicity feels like a very wise word to dance with these days.” It has been a great year! Warmest thoughts and best wishes for a wonderful holiday Khaya.

  10. Lovely post! Intrigued by the idea of having a word to guide you through the year. “Simplify” is such a good one! (And definitely something I’ve been trying to embrace more myself lately.) Hope you’re feeling more reenergized, and that 2020 treats you well!

  11. Happy New Year, Heather. How did I miss your lovely message!:( Yes, the guiding word seems to work better for me than setting a list of resolutions. It’s sort of serves as a reminder of what I’d like to achieve overall. Simplicity was for 2019, but simplifying is always a work in progress. Good luck with your journey to simplify, and all the best for 2020. Thank you for reading and support!

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