2024 | The Year of Aces

I reflect on the year of Aces in the last hours of 2024 with open eyes.

I was ready for big moves, and honestly, in these last hours, I have no aces from this year left to play.
I played them all.

Carrying ace cards throughout the year has taught me that I am more gutsy and daring than I ever understood myself to be. They allowed me to consistently reevaluate my choices and look for the opening to make a new, brave, and bold move.

One of those moves was already set in motion before 2024 began, and I happily laid down the card when I was accepted into a master’s program in creative writing. But in truth, I continually remind myself of that card in every assignment and essay/chapter I write.

Another move was for my daughter. She changed directions in her educational journey when it became apparent that she would lose her confidence if she stayed where she was. It is a privileged choice, but one we don’t regret making.

The thing about Ace cards and the moves I made this year with them is that they are only pieces of paper, but their symbolism is a permission slip—perhaps the sly wink we need when we doubt.

Just days ago, someone I love said,

“Yes, you’re going to shake things up obviously, but I don’t think it will necessarily be viewed as reckless. I think it’s brave."

I admit the cards I played this year have set me on a trajectory I had no idea I was capable of. Given this, I will need to be more connected and anchored in my embodiment of myself and this life more grounded.
Above all the shifts, changes and opportunities, I am eternally thankful for the souls surrounding me and the air I breathe.

To play an ace is to live.

And this year, I have truly, deeply and evocatively lived.

Onwards,

ONEWORDS, SeasonsAmy LaiDecember 31, 20242024, onwards, onward2024, aces, oneword2024Comment

2022 | Dear Autumn,

Dear Autumn,

I’ve been anticipating you.

There was something in the air recently… I knew you would come. That brisk note in the breeze. The urgent tug at my hair last week. The whispering rain that hit the window pain late last night.

Your calling card leaves me with goosebumps on my flesh and a shiver of excitement down my spine. I turned to look, and there you were.

Did you expect me to be this ready for you?

If they had told me that I would get this weak for you years ago, I wouldn’t have believed them.

I didn’t understand then how much glory and beauty there is in shedding what isn’t serving you.

I thought the blooming, the growing, and the standing tall and proud made the soul beautiful.

And now I see…

that I need you.

I need to be reminded of everything that has been of use. It doesn’t just fall to the ground to die; it becomes the fertilizer, the nutrients, the saving grace.