Grateful, Happy and Hopeful

2014 word of the year

They say that it is human to forget — or to want to forget — because it allows us to go on with life despite all the bad experiences in the past. It is tempting, but I refuse to erase the bad memories. 2013 was a challenging year for Daddy A and I — we were tested in our careers, our marriage and even in raising our children. It was a challenging year for the Philippines, too, with the calamities and corruption issues that struck us. But, with a brand new year ahead, do I — we — want to forget and just move on? Move on, yes. Forget, no.

As Elie Wiesel wrote in Hope, Despair and Memory:

Remembering is a noble and necessary act. The call of memory, the call to memory, reaches us from the very dawn of history. No commandment figures so frequently, so insistently, in the Bible. It is incumbent upon us to remember the good we have received, and the evil we have suffered. New Year’s Day, Rosh Hashana, is also called Yom Hazikaron, the day of memory. On that day, the day of universal judgment, man appeals to God to remember: our salvation depends on it. If God wishes to remember our suffering, all will be well; if He refuses, all will be lost. Thus, the rejection of memory becomes a divine curse, one that would doom us to repeat past disasters, past wars.

I don’t want to forget the hurdles because although they were painful, stressful and almost worthy of erasure from my memory, lessons came with those challenges. Important life lessons that I would not have learned if I did not go through such ordeals. Allow me to quote from Elie Wiesel’s essay once again:

Job, our ancestor. Job, our contemporary. His ordeal concerns all humanity. Did he ever lose his faith? If so, he rediscovered it within his rebellion. He demonstrated that faith is essential to rebellion, and that hope is possible beyond despair. The source of his hope was memory, as it must be ours. Because I remember, I despair. Because I remember, I have the duty to reject despair.

I will remember, I will move on and I will be hopeful… despite the challenges and controversies that go with our chosen careers; despite being deceived by those I love and trust; despite all the hurtful words; despite the calamities we, as a country, have gone through in just a span of a year… I will be hopeful.

This is why I chose HOPE to be my word for 2014.Β Yes, 2013 was a big challenge — personally AND country-wide, but I am grateful. I am happy that I got through the year — tired, broken down and wounded, but stronger and wiser than ever. And I am hopefulΒ for a better year and I trust that God will be with me and my family in whatever this new year will bring.

What’s is your 2014 word of the year?

Kimberley Reyes

Kimberley Reyes is an Online Business Manager for entrepreneurs who are ready to get off the hamster wheel and step into their CEO shoes. On top of helping her clients get organized and scale their businesses, she is also happily busy raising her five kids with her firefighter husband.

This Post Has 17 Comments

  1. Roxi | Mr. Jacob's Mom

    That’s a great word to live by this new year. I haven’t thought about my word yet and I think I’m a little late! Better late than never! πŸ™‚

  2. Mitz

    I love your word for 2014. Trials will always be part of life. We’ve had our fair share of them too. As long as we have faith in God, He will always come through for us no matter how big our trials are. πŸ™‚

  3. Janice Lim

    Nice word for the year! My 2013 was actually not as challenging as the years before that, so I’m very, very grateful. But I understand about not wanting to forget the memories, even the bad ones. I’ve experienced a lot of not-so-good things in my life and I believe they made me the stronger person that I am today. πŸ™‚ This year, my one word is “Zen” because life has become very hectic for me. I just wanted to make sure that the hecticness will be toned down this year so that I can focus on people and things I love the most. πŸ™‚

  4. patriciacuyugan

    I went through the same feelings you’re feeling now between 2012-2013. My word last year naman was faith. And you know what, I hung on and things turned out okay. My word for 2014 is cherish. I now have a new lease on love, life, motherhood and marriage. So just hang in there and you’ll make it through, too. πŸ™‚

    1. Mom On Duty

      Thank you so much for this comment, Patricia! It really helps when I hear from other people who faced similar challenges and got through. πŸ™‚ I’m hanging on and hoping for a wonderful 2014!

  5. Peachy @ The Peach Kitchen

    I should have a word of the year too, Thanks for giving me an idea. Happy New Year to you and your fam!

  6. millette05

    It is unnerving when life challenges throws us off balance. Amidst all these, hope makes me look forward to a brand new day.

  7. lornadahl

    On second thought, dapat ata FOCUS? Hahaha!

  8. Maree

    Before I dread challenges and changes, it always meant that I have to adjust to everything new or everything bad. But you know, personally, I don’t like relieving bad memories because it makes me feel the hurts again, but it does help me gain my consciousness to what lies ahead of me. Right now, I see that you are still doing well in-spite of all these trials you encountered. Treat them as just a hiccup and continue doing what you have already decided in your mind πŸ™‚ Thanks for the congratulatory and keep up the good work here, you just gained a new follower πŸ™‚

    1. Mom On Duty

      Thanks, Maree. πŸ™‚ That’s the plan — to turn hurdles into a positive experience. Happy new year!

  9. I could not agree more. I could not wait to say goodbye to 2013. My family and I also had so many challenges in all aspects of our lives. The aftermaths still ripple until now.

  10. Lornadahl Campilan

    True, it was a challenging year for our country. But I’m grateful for those exposΓ©s; I’m hoping they will make us and our fellowmen think harder and act on our rights. I’ve been praying hard for this to come into fruition. I know it will take years, but I’m being hopeful just like you.

    This is such a beautiful entry, thank you for providing uplifting quotes for us readers to remember. πŸ™‚

    What’s my word for 2014? That’s hard haha. I’ve received great blessings from Lord the past years and the challenge now is to continue with my mission, to reject weariness and complacency. So I’d say FIGHT is my word for 2014. Aja!

    Happy new year!

    1. Mom On Duty

      I love your 2014 word! That’s a wonderful mission. πŸ™‚

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