I absolutely love this time of the year. I love opening my back door and hearing the snowblowers at our local ski center. I love taking the dogs for a walk and hearing the snow crunch under my feet. And I love absolutely everything about the holiday season: the baking, the Christmas movies, the traditions and more. 

As I thought about what my one word for December might be after an entire year of documenting my one word journey, I kept coming back to one word:

GROW. 

Now, I know that seems like an odd word to choose as we head into the winter season, rather than spring, but hear me out. Well, me and the Grinch. =)

The Grinch is a holiday must in our home. We watch the movie (all versions) dozens of times, set up the Grinch village in our dining room, get out the Grinch platters and drinkware and cite movie lyrics all season long. Our yearly advent calendar is even the Grinch theme this year! As I watched our first Grinch movie of the year, even though I’ve seen it hundreds of times before, I was struck by the ending. You know the part where the Grinch’s heart grows three sizes bigger? That’s what I want. 

I want to fill my December with every opportunity I can find for my heart and my life to grow bigger. Quality time with family and friends. Trying new recipes and traditions. Saying yes to things I might normally say no to. Letting go of old beliefs to make room for new ones. This is what I want for December to truly make it the most wonderful time of the year.

So, how will I do that? It’s simple. By saying yes. To every reasonable experience and opportunity that comes my way. And that’s it. Honestly, my one word for November was ‘recipe’ and I had the grand plan to capture a memory from each day on a recipe card to save for later. It was an idea I found online and I loved it. But for me, it was an epic fail. It put too much stress on me to DO something extra each day, rather than simply enjoy what comes my way. Lesson learned. I’m not putting any expectation on myself to document my one word other than to simply live it. That’s all. And I can’t wait. 

I’ll leave you with this: Gretchen Rubin urges us to choose the bigger life. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do. 

What’s your word for December? Share in the comments!