What do YOU want to "follow" in 2010?

So, Wednesday morning I was the "crazy mom" who had to follow her child's school bus all the way to the school. Yep, that was me! I realized, once returning to my house after seeing Katie get on the bus that morning, that her gym shoes never quite made it to her backpack (she wore her snow boots due to the weather). Knowing that the school does not want kids to wear their snow boots all day, I made a mad dash for the gym shoes, picked Ellie up (who was still in her coat/boots/hat/mittens from just coming in), ran to the garage, hopped in the car, and tried to FOLLOW THAT SCHOOL BUS! I started thinking about all of the movies out there that include the lines, "Follow that taxi!" or "Follow that car!" and then wondered if there is any movie that has the line "Follow that school bus!" Maybe there will be - once they make a movie about my life. ; )

I feel so scatter-brain this month. Who am I kidding, I've been scatter-brained most of my life. But that's ok. I like my little world. I digress. Ellie and I caught up with the school bus on Francis Road (a lovely wooded road on the way to Kate's school.) I drove cautiously behind the bus, but crazily waved at its windows, as if the kids would do something. I realized I couldn't see a single child inside because the windows were tinted, and thought perhaps none of the kids even noticed me following them. Then I thought that there was probably one child watching who saw me (probably the quiet observant child) and they probably were trying to figure out why this Crazy Lady (that would have been me) was waving so aggresively as if she was having a seizure. So, I decided to stop waving, and just follow the bus to school - where I safely delivered the shoes to the driver, and returned home.

While venturing home, I thought about a drive I took earlier this week, on Tuesday, when I headed to downtown Chicago for a visit to a client's office. There was a little bit of rough weather going on Tuesday morning as I took the drive - although it wasn't quite as bad as I expected it. But it did provide me an opportunity to spend some extra time in the car . . . which ultimately lead to some major soul searching. You see, I was driving on a overcrowded express way in the midst of a snow storm . . . behind . . . . a hearse. Yes, a white funeral hearse. Not sure where they were going (or if the driver was alone or not). But there is something about following a hearse that makes you feel 1) like you had better drive really carefullyand 2) like life happens really really fast, and we better enjoy each moment (snow storm and all.)

Anyway, I probably drove a good 15 miles of rush hour traffic behind this white hearse (which probably took close to 1 hour in this bad weather). And I spent that hour . . . evaluating life. Funny how that happens - how a trip driving behind a hearse can make you ask yourself if you really are doing all that you want to do in life. If you are being the best person you can be. If you are living the life you want to live. I started thinking about 2009 and the year, in general, and my wish for Balance in this year. Balance was my 2009 Word of the Year. Do you know the whole "Word of the Year" idea? I picked the concept up from scrapbook guru Ali Edwards. I've written about Ali before - during the Daily December posts. Ali encourages individuals to choose a Word of the Year, to help one focus on what your individual goal or wish is for yourself in the New Year. In 2008, my word was PEACE. 2009, BALANCE. I used both of those words regularlyduring the course of the year - by either ending emails or blog comments with wishes of Peace & Balance, or by just extending Peace & Balance to people in short messages or posts.

Thinking back - I do feel more at Peace in life right now than I felt 2 years ago. I also do feel as if I balanced the demands of work and Mommyhood much better this year than last (it probably also helps that my kids are getting older and are able to function more independently - but I like to think that it is because the balance I tried to put out there managed to work. Who knows.) But I will admit that having a Word of the Year has been a great reminder to myself of the life I want to live. And taking this drive behind the hearse helped me think about my "words", both past and present.

So I put the challenge out there to you, now. To think of your Word for 2010. What do YOU want to follow in the New Year? What word do you want to keep in your mind? I've come up with mine already, and I'll share it with you closer to the New Year. Start thinking about yours. I promise - if you commit to thinking about the New Year by way of a Word - you WILL find yourself going out of your way to live by it. And if you are doing that - you are making a positive change for yourself.

So think about it. Feel free to share your thoughts, hope, fears, dreams and word. Do it for yourself - because you owe it to yourself to focus on your life the New Year!