Yet

yet

/yet/

adverb

1. 1. 

   up until the present or a specified or implied time; by now or then.

   "I haven't told anyone else yet"

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   
   
2. 2. 

   still; even (used to emphasize increase or repetition).

   "snow, snow, and yet more snow"

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

conjunction

    but at the same time; but nevertheless.

    "the path was dark, yet I slowly found my way"

What a strange, weird choice for a One Little Word for a new year. In fact, what a strange word PERIOD. Grammatically, it means contradictory things. It means both "hasn't happened" and "is still happening". It emphasizes and also contradicts. Maybe in your 44th year of life, your 20th year in your career, your 18th year of parenting, your 21st year of marriage, your first year in a pandemic ;) , your 16th year in your house... maybe that's just a period of life that is best explained by "hasn't happened" and "is still happening", emphasized and juxtaposed. I don't know, but I know that out of all of the adorable and inspiring choices that made my short list (roots, bloom, adventure, less, intentional, mindful, etc), this is the one I kept coming back to. 

Yet.

In trying to figure out what I wanted to get out of my word this year, I did some research. One thing that struck me about the word "yet" is that, especially when used in Scripture, it connects something painful with something positive. Though this painful thing happened, yet this positive truth exists. In keeping with my 2020 word, redeem, and what God promised in regard to it, yet actually makes really good sense. Though 2020 was an incredibly challenging and sometimes painful year, yet 2021 will bring hope and redemption. I like that.

I also read several things from the educational thought field about the power of yet. 

"I can't understand this text....yet."

"I can't conquer that skill....yet."

"I don't understand this...yet."

"I'm not good at that... yet."

It's a pretty powerful concept and shift in thinking. 

And maybe for me, it's ...

*I'm not seeing the fruits of my labor... yet.*

*I don't know how to go about achieving my dreams...yet.*

*I don't know what the future holds...yet.*

*Our business isn't where I want it to be... yet.*

I tentatively picked this word in the last couple of days of 2020, but I couldn't seem to commit to it. I kept thinking about it, trying on other words for size. I think the reason it freaked me out a bit (and still does) is that I'm not much one for the unknown. I liked the idea of picking the word "roots" for 2021.

Yet... it holds so much uncertainty. Promise, yes, hope, yes, but uncertainty as well. I took these photos on MLK weekend, 18 days into the new year, but still couldn't write this post or commit to the word in my heart. Then a couple of days ago, within 10 minutes, I saw an instagram post and read in a book of essays I was reading about the word Yet. And there it was. The confirmation I needed.

So here we are! 2021, the year of 

Yet.