Imagine

I don't usually make complex resolutions at the New Year; I like to set an intention instead. And the recent trend of choosing a word to represent your overall aim for the year resonates with me, even if I don't choose one every year.

This year, though... this year. It seems to call for a strong intention. I just wasn't sure what mine was, well, not until I spent some time writing in my journal on my Christmas break. Taking time to pause, to write, really clears my mind. And while I was doing this, my husband was reading some fascinating literary essays by Northrop Frye, including one on Wallace Stevens, one of our shared favourite poets.

He kept reading bits out to me. "Listen to this," he'd say, "or this --" and then as I was writing my way toward a word, The Word, he said, "Oh wow, listen --" and he read me this.

"The consciousness fighting back...is the consciousness rising to imagination."

So. Imagine is my word for 2017.
Imagine the world that could be. Imagine how to engage. 
And foster the imagination in general, foster creativity and hope and ideas, with others.

Imagine.