word of the year

This is my Epiphany:
it all matters less than I think it does.
The circles I run myself around in
get so small
I might as well
stand still.
The big stuff marches on, no matter
how much I try to distract myself.
Keep loving.
Even when it is hard.
Especially when it is hard.
Let love be louder, more urgent,
than my need to be loved back.
That part is already
more than covered.

"The secret to life is relationships."
So begins a speech my dad gives
to anyone who will listen (or happens
to be in earshot).  Bank tellers,
waitresses, hopeful boyfriends,
distracted salesmen are all now
privy to the innermost workings
of the cosmos.
And he's right, of course.  Not much else
matters more. Relational love
is the gospel in a nutshell.  Connection is
what we all long for most, validation
without seeming too needy.
So in his honor, my wise old dad will be
proud to know
my word for the year is what I've gotten
from hearing that speech repeated,
fine-tuned over the years, customized for
each new listener.

This year I want to
CONNECT.
I want to focus more on being connected
than being right.
I want to work on connecting those around me
into a community we all deserve.
I want to behold the connections
in my own life, all these pieces that
never seem to fit when really they are
the whispered truth: "this is the way.
walk in it."
To connect is to take a deep breath
and plunge into intimacy, sometimes
where I least expect it.
Connect is the one-word version of
the secret to life speech.
I hope I do it justice
in 2013.