More. That’s my word for 2016. When I got cancer, one of my docs gave me one of the best pieces of advice anybody’s ever given me. He told me a story about how when his mother got cancer when he was a boy, that her dream was to live to see her kids graduate high school. She got her dream come true. A happy ending. But an ending. Unfortunately, she passed away shortly after. The thing my doc said that struck me so, then, and has stuck hard and fast with me these #lucky7 years, since I was standing in his mama’s shoes, was very simply: Ask for more.

Last year’s word was Jubilee. Super apropos, since I hit the big 5-O in September. Looking back and reading the leaves of my 2015 calendar, my year of Jubilee lived up to its name. And then some more. It was most def a celebrationFULL year. Renewal. Remission. Good fortune. Here’s my 2015 recap. Some of the highlights. My top 15, obvi, cuz 2015:

1. Milestones: 50th birthday. My year of Jubilee. 7 year cancerversary. 28th anniversary. RUTS-my first endurance run-I ran for 10 hours and clocked 35 miles and realized I am ultra runner. Route 66 Marathon-my first marathon/ultra marathon race.
2. All things new. Love Shack. New digs/diving board for this next #emptynest chapter of our lives. New church. Fittingly it’s called Crossroads. Not that there was anything wrong with the old one. But after accidentally becoming the cancer chick there I decided I needed to bust out of just playing that role. Cuz it is who I am, but not all of who I am. New branding/web site. Thanks to Blustery Day Design! I freaking love it and can’t recommend them highly enough! New office. The first real live office I’ve ever had! I’m so superkaPower stoked to create stuff in this new space! #roomofmyown Im calling it The Rabbit Hole.
3. Boyz graduated college. No more college tuition. RAISE! All 3 Redheads happy in their lives, with good jobs.
4. Finding out I’m gonna be a Gigi!
5. Went back to Kripalu, as Jen’s assistant. Noticed shift had happened. Yes &…
6. Participated in a local storytelling event here in Cincy, kinda like The Moth. Click HERE to check it out. Participated in the Route 66 Marathon bloggers panel at the expo. Got to talk about #SHAKEN on Fox 19 Think Pink. Ford Warriors in Pink listed SHAKEN NOT STIRRED…A CHEMO COCKTAIL in their list of recommended reads! Click HERE for that way cool link. I got to write a cool article to honor my friend Vanesa for Sohza magazine.
7. One of my Route 66 pix made it into an “American Road Trip” exhibit in Brooklyn. Click HERE for the deets.
8. Elizabeth Gilbert commented on one of my posts on my FB wall that I “write like a dream”! #swoon
9. Grace Project midwest and east coast road-trips. Too many highlights. I could write a book. Athena Division. Die-in on Capitol Hill. New Riff benefit. Cancer Support Community events. Charleston Exhibit. Christ Hospital event. 200 photo shoots. 1/4 of the way there. Milestones. literal and metaphorical. Meaning. Momentum.
10. Had the pleasure of hosting my friend Amy Ferris in town for an amazing writing workshop and Grace Project benefit.
11. Going to Donald Miller’s Storyline Conference with my sweet Mikeyy. Mikeyy’s movie making it into Cincy Film Fest. Click HERE for the link to check out his movie. #proudmama
12. Deepak Oprah 21 day Meditation Experiences. Gratitude. Abundance. Belief. So good! #thingsthatmakeyousayohm
13. Operation FORE! Damn golf ball OUT. And it wasn’t cancer! Yay and thank God!
14. Finally being able to help my mom get her teeth fixed.
15. Family vacation on Folly. For Christmas, our anniversary, New Year’s Even, and my sister’s wedding.

As I prayed and meditated about this year’s word, that story kept raising it’s hand like it’s name was Horshack or something. At first MORE sounded like such a greedy word to throw down, after a year of Jubilee and so much celebration. But the MORE it said “Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Ooh!” I have come to see MORE as raw, authentic, childlike expression of gratitude. So a deep sense of gratitude is where I’m coming from as I share my sweet 16 resolutions/goals/intentions for 2016:

1. More books. Write shitty first draft of WHY DID THE TURTLE CROSS THE ROAD? by June, in time for…
2. More roles. I get to become a Gigi!
3. More miles. forward motion. fitness. Log 1000 miles for Moon Joggers. Run 5K 5 days a week. Cross-train swim/bike/row 2 days. 10 minute mile. 2 hour half. Do a tri. Bike Loveland trail.
4. More #Shaken it up. Record SHAKEN NOT STIRRED. Upload it, and Wind in My Hair to iTunes.
5. More snappy. Route 66 Pix photo exhibit. Brooklyn “American Road Trip” show January 20.
6. More things to learn: to play my red guitar and uke, Chi Gong or Tai Chi, origami crane, photoshop and more photography skills, drum circle, Periscope.
7. More snail mail: Send more #postcardfromtheroad, more thank you/thinking of you notes.
8. More girlfriend time. Girls night out once a month. Get to know our new neighbors. Hang out at the pool this summer.
9. More creativity. Write every damn day. blog more. vlog more. write more poetry. write Alice in Wonderland writing workshop. Periscope. Take more pictures. more #postcardfromtheroad. Set up Etsy or other shop.
10. More yes &…
11. More yoga and meditation. Begin every day with meditation and intention setting. #yogaeverydamnday. Check in b4 bed.
12. More organization. Unpack last damn box in my office. Finish creating space to create in. Go paperless as possible with Evernote. File the important papers. Org Pix. Get my Email chimp up and running. Update snail mail addys. Social media.
13. More self-care. schedule my projects and myself into the calendar. Eat & drink mindfully. Juice more. Hydrate more. Breathe more. Meditate more. Read more. More Acupuncture/Massage/Float therapy.
14. More time in my old fave blues. Lose 16.
15. More travel. More Denver to hold my sweet grandbaby. More Grace road trips. Buen Camino? Spend as much of winter as possible somewhere warm. Spring break writing retreat to focus on book.
16. More wheels. New car. Maybe a dog for a sidekick?

And just cuz, here’s a few lines from my ultimate Bucket List of hopes and dreams and prayers:

1. See U2 in concert.
2. Meet Taylor Swift.
3. Find a cute little apartment in Denver so I can base their sometimes to spend time with my sweet grand baby.
4. Route 66 book/photo exhibit tour.
5. Live in warmer climate.
6. Buen Camino. Be in Spain for Miguel Cervantes birthday. Read Don Quixote in Spain.
7. Get paid to travel and pay my way doing what I love and loving what I do.
8. Fly first class.
9. Grace Project funding. May it be able to fund Isis so she can do it full time, and to pay my way.
10. Grow my tribe.
11. See the Jesus in Rio.
12. Albuquerque balloon fest.
13. Hike Appalachian trail.
14. Write Homeschool Happy Hour.
15. Publish book of haiku and photography.
16. … (I always like to end my #bucketlist with an ellipsis, in case my chemo brain forgot something cool. #neverendingbucketlist)

So what about you? What’s your word for sweet ’16 and/or what’s on your “To Do” and bucket lists? I’d love to hear from you and will pinky swear to cheer you on if you honor me with your word/lists. Feel free to comment below with your lists or links to your New Year’s Resolution blog posts, or to contact me via email.