Welcome to the second post of the year, and the reveal of my word for 2025: Make-believe. If you’re new here, here is last week’s dilemma post, explaining my indecisive moment in time, here in this fresh new Gregorian calendar year.
As promised, I made the playlist on Spotify:
And it’s a living thing that will surely change over the course of the year.
As it turns out though, the word came from long, long ago.
Over the Christmas break, a friend watched Willy Wonka with her kids. Her children didn’t dig the psychedelic tunnel experience, but I’m glad she tried to share that film nugget with the next generation. I’ve been thinking about it ever since. I’ll come back to the Candy Man and the world of pure imagination.
Meanwhile, that same night, I watched Wild Robot with our kid and his cousins. That brand new movie had just as many life lessons tucked into 90 minutes, and some pretty perfect commentary on what it means to be a parent. Deeply important scenarios about weirdness, belonging, leadership—all from a robot and a goose, with a great supporting character in the fox. Like, who dreams up these amazing, outlandish, but highly effective, kid stories?
People who live in a world of pure imagination, for just long enough to tie it all together, I bet. Which got me thinking about Willy Wonka, and the value of tangible learning experiences, and the value of listening, following directions, and maybe most importantly, the value of believing it could be you. Above all convincing odds against you, in spite of your social status— it could be you with the golden ticket.
So this year I want to believe it could be me: I might tell the story people want to hear, feel, relate to and share. I could create the art that ignites that warm fuzzy feeling in your sternum, leads you to believe in what I see. I could take the risk necessary, put the work in, show up and shine. I can make the world I believe is possible, in my world of pure imagination. I can, in this make-believe existence, do good and kind things, and I will feel good about it.
So, it’s make-believe. My word for the year feels like a newborn, tiny and squirmy, kind of uncomfortable to hold, but it doesn’t care how I feel— it just wants to live.
I hope this January finds you in the magic of winter, not doing too much and honoring your own season of rest. I’m humbled and grateful for the long-time and new readers alike, and I welcome you all. Feel free to share your words or feelings for 2025 in the comments, and I’m always appreciative of music and movie recommendations.
Should you find a TV show as good and pure and funny as Ted Lasso, please do share. Lately my mind wanders to scenes of See, and y’all, that is dark and a lot and I need something kinder for my nervous system.
Love you!
Hey there friend. Love your word, I might have to steal it 💫
I loved this post! And I loved “Ted Lasso” too. One show we found that scratched that itch for uncomplicated goodness was “All Creatures Great and Small.” It’s not haha-funny like TL, but it’s charming and we really enjoyed it.