The best word that encapsulates 2009 is tempered.
When something is tempered, it’s heated to reach it’s most stable form and then cooled at a certain rate resulting in a combination of hardness, toughness, strength, structural stability and other desired properties.
Steel and glass are tempered to make them stronger. Eggs are tempered to keep them from curdling when added to a hot sauce. Chocolate is tempered so it transforms from a soft, mushy goo to a smooth, shiny chocolate with a satisfying snap.
2009 felt like the year of intense fire and controlled cooling…it got pretty toasty at times! As the year draws to a close, I can definitely confirm that there’s a strength and stability…a satisfying snap to things that wasn’t there before.
I liked thinking about the best word that encapsulates 2009. Since 2010 is just around the corner, I decided to ditch the obligatory News Year’s Resolution list and simply choose a word, a quality, I want for the new year. The word I choose is stillness. What’s your word?
What a GREAT post! I’d never have put my finger on it that way, but “tempered” is a perfect description of the year for so many. I’m not sure yet what word I choose for myself in 2010, but I appreciate the call to think about it. I like that better than resolutions I rarely keep.