🌿A “Word of the Year” isn’t a resolution with better PR. It’s a north star in your pocket—something you can reach for when life gets loud, messy, or exhausting. It’s not about perfection. It's about direction. 💡 Why one word works Goals can feel like homework. A word shows up in real life: - When you’re about to overcommit - When you’re reacting instead of responding - When you’re tempted to quit - When you’re choosing everyone else over yourself Your word becomes a simple question: “What would my word do here?” ✅ Quick Word-Picking Process (10 minutes) Grab a notebook or piece of paper. Write 3 lists: More of: Less of: Let go of: Circle what has the most emotional charge. That’s usually the doorway. Now ask: What’s the theme underneath?Overwhelm → Focus / SteadinessSelf-judgment → GraceClenching + holding on → ReleaseFeeling flat/numb → Joy / LoveFear + playing small → Ownership / Wildflower 🔥 The 3 Tests (to choose the right one) Pick your top 3 words and test them: 1) Bad-Day TestOn a hard day, does this word help… or shame you? 2) Whisper TestSay: “This year, I choose ___.”If your body softens or your eyes get spicy (teary), pay attention. 3) Behavior TestCan you name 3 actions this word would change? If not, it’s too vague. 🌸 Words already in our community Wildflower • Focus • Perseverance • Joy • Deep Breath • Embrace • Release • Grace • Ownership • Devoted • Steadiness • Peace • Tolerance • Love 👉If you’re choosing from these, try finishing one sentence: “This year, my word will help me practice ______.” 🧷 Make it REAL (not just pretty) Choose 1–2 anchors: - Put your word on your phone wallpaper - Write a daily question: “What would (WORD) do here?” - Pick one micro-ritual (ex, one deep breath before emails, meals, hard conversations) - Do a monthly reset: “Where did I live my word? Where did I drift?” A word becomes powerful when it changes tiny moments. That’s where your year is actually made. 👇 Comment below

Put the kettle on. 😉 You made it here, and that already tells me something important: you’re willing to look at the parts of life most people avoid—death, grief, aging, endings—and you’d rather not do that alone. 👥This space is for people who feel the tug of questions like: - What do I want to do with the time I have left? - How do I carry my grief and still live? - How do I prepare—practically and emotionally—so I don’t leave a mess behind? Here, we talk honestly about living and dying, love and loss, plans and paperwork, spirit and practicality. We make room for both the kettle (conversation, comfort, everyday life) and the candle (mortality, memory, sacredness of our limited time). 👉How this community works: You’ll see different programs and posts here—like 365 — A Year To Live and Advanced Care Planning—but underneath it all is the same heartbeat: - Tell the truth about life and death. - Learn together, not alone. - Take small, brave steps toward living and dying in alignment with your values. -  You are welcome to come exactly as you are: curious, scared, hopeful, tired, grieving, unsure, or all of the above. 🙌Introduce yourself (in a way that actually matters) When you’re ready, say hello in the comments below. You can answer any of these prompts—just what feels right: 1. What season of life are you in right now, in a few words? (Examples: “Midlife and re-evaluating everything,” “Fresh in grief,” “Caregiver mode,” “Aging and taking stock.”) 2. What quietly brought you to Kettle & Candle? A loss, a diagnosis, a birthday, a near-miss, a deep curiosity, a professional calling? 3. When you think about death, grief, or aging, what feeling shows up first? (No need to be poetic. “Terrified,” “numb,” “relieved to finally talk about it” all count.) 4. What is one hope you have for yourself in this space over the next year? (Big or small: “Get my paperwork started,” “Not feel so alone,” “Make peace with a part of my story,” etc.) 5. Is there a small comfort or ritual that helps you feel grounded lately? (Tea, walking, gardening, journaling, music, prayer, sitting in the sunshine…)

I got a piece of mail today that was addressed to my son who passed away in 2022. It’s not as painful as it was getting his mail in 2022, 2023, etc. it doesn’t make me cry anymore.