Word of the Year 2020

Brain cancer is...

 ...excited to greet the new decade with our Word of the Year.

As we have done since 2014, we have chosen a Word of the Year for New Years.  Our word gives us a sense of direction for how we will choose to live life in the coming year.

For 2020, we need a word that implies purpose, presence, and wonder.  We need a word that keeps us connected with people and their stories, a word that captures our fervent intention of continuing to live life greedily.  Our Word of the Year for 2020 is Explore.  Here's how:

• Our time territory is uncharted. GBM has 15-month median survival rate.  Living and thriving together with Darrell's "terminal" disease for 46 months is a fiercely wonderful thing.  It's also a strikingly odd thing.  We have no idea what we're doing.  We're just going to keep exploring this strange and wonderful territory.
• We hunger for new places and adventures.  2019 took us to amazing places like Palm Springs (weird that it's new for us, right?), the British Isles (of which there are more than 6,000--news to us!), Grand Cayman, Lake Geneva, and Scottsdale.  This year we are eager for additional adventures, far and near.
• We are exploring new roles and changing relationships. Two words:  Nova Brielle.  Enough said?  
• We are exploring inner journeys too.  We feel more self aware post diagnosis.  Post-traumatic growth (addressed in this 2017 post) gives a clearer sense of one's strengths and limitations. We hope the word explore can help us to honestly assess the personal limitations that continue to surface for us and then help us to learn from our failings as we grow as humans.  We strive to be better people.

Recently Darrell's family had a conversation about time travel.  Most of us mused about whether we'd go back in time or forward, and for what purpose.  Darrell's contribution was characteristically Darrell.  He said, "We all are time travelers.  We just go in one direction and one speed."  His thought really stuck with me.  What a great way to live life:  As time travelers.

Team D., thanks for exploring with us as we go hurtling through time.  Let's be sure to look around as we go.  Here's to 2020 and its explorations.

A Farewell:  Thanks, Perspective.

Just a year ago (in this post) we introduced you to the world and to our lives.  Thanks, Word of the Year, 2019, for what you brought to us.  Sure, another framed piece has taken your place on the entry table, but you are not forgotten.  We realize this year that the only way to gain new perspectives is to explore. 

See? You have become part of us, as have your predecessors like lean, open, and story.  Your work here is done.  Many thanks!