In my New Year’s blog, I wrote about my word for the year, Arise! I also commented on how time seems to be speeding by, how fast things are changing and how the unexpected has become an everyday experience. A friend of mine recently expressed it eloquently by saying, “Every day I awaken to an entirely new chemistry.” She was talking about a healing process she is going through but the more I thought about it, it seems to apply to the whole universe we are living in and our relationship to it.

Meditating on this idea and wondering what I should be doing about it, I recently went on a shopping trip, looking for nothing in particular, but thinking I might find something. I found myself trying on a pair of boots which were surprisingly comfortable, which is a miracle in itself. As I took them off to decide whether to buy them, I wondered what the brand was. I looked inside and there was my next word: ANDIAMO.

The Italian expression andiamo means: let’s go or hurry up! As a longtime aficionado of many things Italian (ciabatta, aerobics instructor, olives, hairdresser, wood-fired oven pizza, doctor, novels and movies, painting of Positano, meatballs, scenes of Tuscany, I could go on), I knew I had found the response to my question and of course I made the purchase. I’ve also discovered that the word is sometimes used as an exclamation of joy when something unexpectedly good happens. So the answer is clear: Take action, move forward and remember to embrace joy at every juncture, no matter the nature of how things may appear.

I also want to express my joy and appreciation for all your comments to my recent blog questions. Where could I find more inspiration than in the words and experiences of my thoughtful readers? Grazie!