welcoming MOXIE

6 Comments

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Way back before we had kids, I saw a scrapbook page created by Jessica Sprague with the words: This girl’s got moxie. It gave me pause because the word, moxie, was new to me. Jessica used it in reference to traveling through airports alone with her two small children.

When I looked up the meaning of the word I questioned whether a mom traveling with young children through airports really qualified as having moxie. I was silly and clueless.

I’ve thought of that moment many times over the last decade and a half. Yes, traveling with young children qualifies as having moxie. So does putting dinner on the table at the end of a long day or getting kids to brush their teeth. Writing a blog post and going for a run can require moxie. I often talk to myself in third person, remembering Jessica’s mantra and applying it to my own life: This girl’s got moxie.

I’ve decided to purposely usher more moxie into my life. Rather than moxie being an outgrowth of life, I want it to propel my life. I am sure 2018 will be an adventure.

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mission story

6 Comments »

  1. What a great word! And, somehow, I think it fits you 🙂 . Mine’s coming later today—after 4 adults, 6 kids, and 3 dogs leave and my world is semi back to normal.

  3. Glad your didn’t pick ruthless. I teach writing to deaf kids with severe language delays and that takes moxie. I am often rewarded by the most creative invention or reinvention of words and grammatical structures. Wish I had collected them.

  4. One of my grandfathers used this word for people who did things that others thought was “too much”, like speaking out for “right”. And I just read a short review of a new YA book titled Moxie, now a word you’ve taken as yours. You’re right, it fits many levels of life, a good one to take on, Ruth. I love that you’ve had this story in your mind for a while and that now you’ve shared! Happy New Year!

  5. This is a new word for me and so, of course, I’m seeing it everywhere. I have a feeling you’ve had moxie for quite some time.