My 2020 Word of the Year - Finally Sharing it!

It’s September and I’m just now getting around to writing about my word of the year. It’s very late in the year to reveal this word to the world. It’s funny, because I was actually very certain by late November of last year that this is the word that I would hang my hat on for 2020. I had no idea how literally I would hang my hat on it as I settled into the word and a completely different lifestyle.

But why reveal my word of the year for 2020 right now - in September - a mere 3 months before people will start thinking about 2021 goals and words of the year? Simply because it matters to me. Plus, there’s always something about late August and early September that make everything feel like new beginnings can happen. With fresh school supplies ready and a new season upon us, it’s time to finally share my word of the year with you.

2020 - Word of the Year: Plant (verb)

Merriam Webster defines the word plant like this: Plant (verb) to put or set in the ground for growth, to establish, to settle, and to place firmly or forcibly.

It’s a funny word to choose for 2020. I had no idea that we’d be fully settled and established in the confines of our home in April. I don’t think I’ve ever been planted in one spot quite so firmly. I feel very planted in life right now though in a way that’s filled with gratitude and contentedness. That’s weird though isn’t it? I’ve planted myself in my home for so much of 2020 due to the pandemic. There’s been good days where my to-do lists get done, and there’s been days where I zone out watching reruns of NCIS as I try to process what’s going on in our world.

What I’ve learned so far…

Before March 17, which is the day Rick and I officially went on lockdown here, I was learning about some of the first steps of planting. It all starts with uprooting what was already there. Oof. That’s such a hard process. It’s painful. It’s the loss of something that was there no matter if it was good/bad/just was. Now, it’s gone and that ripping process hurts. The irony is not lost on me that in the midst of sitting in learning about uprooting and how necessary it is before planting, we’d be uprooted from our routines, isolated from the people we’re used to seeing, and erasing the plans that were on the calendar.

My home-away-from-home that is still actually my home is my backyard. The backyard has become my sanctuary, even on the hottest of days that Houston has given us. I’ve taken phone calls and Facetime coffee dates out here. I’ve read books, written words, and daydreamed about the future while mourning the necessary ‘nos’ of this season. I’ve sat with tears in my eyes as I pray and process through 2020. It’s been a tough year, and I’m not in denial about that. It’s been a hard year in so many ways.

At the same time, it’s been such a good year of learning about ‘plant’ though. In April, we pulled out some seeds that we had never gotten around to plant and started our herb garden. It’s had its ups and downs, but I’ve never been so close to a gardener in my life. Sitting out here has given me a new perspective from watching the seasons change, watching different plants bloom at different times, and watching some plants die. (RIP cilantro, I would have loved you dearly and deliciously.)

Can I confess something here in this safe space? I’ve never been a great plant parent. I’ve always wanted to be. But I’ve failed to listen to their leaves, see when they’re being choked out by other plants, and longing for water and sunlight. I’ve killed my fair share of little beauties. Others, have thrived in spite of my constant neglect. Now, I’m deep diving websites for specific plants, and overly cognizant of things like root rot, replanting and plant rotation. Who am I!?

an imperfectly perfect word

There’s a lot to learn about plants, especially watching them day after day as seasons fade into each other. I’ve learned so much this year that I am struggling to even process the breadth of it all. This word could really become a decades worth of a word to sit and unpack all of the different stages of it - from preparing the soil to that final harvest time. When I think about a new word for 2021, I’m already mourning, because I’ve loved this word more than I think I’ve loved any other word of the year that I’ve ever chosen. For a word that seemed so imperfectly perfectly timed and quintessentially 2020, it’s been a true joy to delve into it. Now, to settle into the fall as I watch another season of planting here in my backyard and glean more insight into what this word means for me.

Did you have a word for 2020? I’d love to hear about it and what you’ve been learning!