My 2025 word of the year came to me without me having to search for it. My coworker mentioned offhandedly that, according to the lunar calendar, 2025 is the year of the wood snake.
“It fits with all kinds of metaphors,” she told me. “A snake sheds its skin, it lives close to the earth, things like that.”
The word “shed” hit me like a lightning bolt. As soon as she said it, I knew I’d found my word for the year.
For some time now, I’ve chosen a word each year to guide my way through 365 days of — hopefully — growth.
Some past words of the year have been “Delight,” inspired by The Book of Delights by Ross Gay; “Fierce” was the word I chose when I decided I needed to be braver and take more risks; “Ritual” helped me establish more me time and healthier habits; last year was “Candlelight,” which was meant to remind me to create a sacred space for myself that was unplugged and warm.(Candlelight might have also been subconsciously the reason I decided to buy candle making supplies, a hobby I’ve really enjoyed the past several months.)
Shed is a deceptively simple word for 2025. The primary application is about my need to shed stuff that weighs me down: toxic people, self-effacing negative talk, lack of confidence. I’d like to shed my fears.
In the physical realm, I’m always striving to shed clutter. There is always a drawer to clean and a closet to sort! But I’m bucking the trite inclination to “shed a few pounds.” I’m just not going to do that with myself. I know myself too well and refuse to set a trap for myself that sets in motion a cycle of failure and disappointment over arbitrary numbers on a scale. What I WILL do is continue to learn about super processed foods and be more mindful about eating healthy and getting outside to take walks and putter in the garden.
My absolute favorite iteration of the word “shed” is my writing shed! Years ago, when our little house was stuffed to the gills with children and toys and a rambunctious dog, my dear husband constructed a writing shed for me in our backyard. This little 80 square-foot studio has big beautiful windows, a comfy chair, and a table perfect for thinking and writing. It provides a sunny, quiet, and intentional spot for creativity. For 2025, hear my battle cry: “Head for the Shed!”
Inspired by author and podcaster Mel Robbins’ suggestion of a year-end audit, I spent last Saturday morning going through the camera roll on my phone. I scrolled through so many happy and already-forgotten moments of 2024. It’s amazing how much of even the recent past we forget along the way. As I sorted through the photos, a few themes emerged to create a snapshot of the most recent chapter of my life: it consisted of live music and theater performances, laughter with friends, many, many walks in the woods near my home, and camping trips and all the wonderful nature that comes with it.
Oh, and the biggest “shed” will be when our youngest child graduates from high school and heads to college in August. My husband and I will shed our identities as parents. Well, active parents. That is to say, we will no longer be parenting in-person, 24/7.
Some might call it an empty nest; happiness expert Gretchen Rubin calls it the “open door” phase when young adult children are in and out of the home as they transition to adulthood. Mel Robbins refers to it as being a Bird Launcher, when the chicks fly the nest to make a life of their own.
I have no idea what to expect in those first few months. What will it feel to have my birds in flight, no longer at home? Ten months into our marriage, we became parents, and that was 28 years ago. Shedding our skin as “Mom and Dad” sounds foreign to me. If not Mom and Dad, who are we? This is what 2025 will reveal to us. We will wriggle out of our rough, weathered exterior and adjust to our new layer of tender skin, unaccustomed to the light and the harsh rays of the sun. We will have to forge new ways to connect with our grown children, to show them we love them without crowding their fragile outstretched wings.
I’m not sure if choosing a word of the year is really beneficial, but I very much enjoy the time of reflection it provides me as I step into a shiny new year. Choosing a word gives me a theme and a purpose, and hopefully provides a little light along the path.
