Name Thyself

As the new year approaches, I have selected my word of the year which is joy. In the last post, I went into why I picked that word. Then, I dove into what the word joy actually means. But I think I've missed something, and I figured it out this morning on the way to work.

Most people don't even know who they really are and what they bring to the table of life. I thought about this as I analyzed the obtuse saying, "Don't let it define you." The saying is usually in reference to a trial or trouble a person is wading through.

General sayings can be annoying but as I zoomed in on this one this morning, I thought of a dear friend who discussed their health struggles with me this year. Apparently, doctors are now hesitant to dub a patient "cancer free". This person went round and round with the doc nearly demanding the label be stripped away. Man, I like their warrior spirit! This person refused to be DEFINED as a cancer patient.

I feel like that's the way I want to enter 2024, without an adjective defining me. Like, what does my name mean? Teresa. Depending on which source you use, it's possibly Spanish, Italian, or Portuguese meaning "to harvest" or "late summer". Another site touts that it is of Greek origin and bears the exact same meaning. The first users of the name are possibly from the Greek island of Therasia.

Either way, it means the same. Harvester or industrious. That is who I am at the heart. I never stop. When I'm pursuing creativity, work, projects at home I don't have a turn off switch. I do see things to completion. That's the way I want to name myself for 2024, a woman of joy who will see things through to completion.