Why I Chose These 7 Objects for My One Word Jar
“No man ever steps in the same river twice. For it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.”
– Heraclitus
I was staring at my laptop in the small office at my house. Our small group was about to close out our Zoom hour. The discussion had been rich and meaningful. This month’s focus was how we could incorporate our One Word of the Year into our daily lives, a passion project of my own.
Our final instructions before signing off were simple: in the next week, collect objects that symbolize our words and what we hope to gain from them.
I loved this idea immediately. Choosing a guiding word for the year has always been a powerful practice for me, but this exercise would make it even more tangible. It could turn my word—Ripple—into something to hold, see, and interact with.
Perhaps some objects could give me a new way to reflect on what I want to cultivate this year: legacy, movement, and the quiet ways that small actions create lasting change.
Over the next few days, I wandered through my home, searching for objects that resonated with Ripple and felt deeply personal to me.
I settled on these seven objects. They now sit inside a ripply-looking jar that I brought home from my uncle’s house after he passed last November.
My cousin believes the jar may have once belonged to our grandmother before it rippled down to my uncle, and now to me. Even more perfect.
Here are the 7 objects in my One Word jar and why I chose them:
1. 2025 Calendar
Time is fluid, moving forward like ripples in water. This calendar reminds me that every day this year is a fresh opportunity to be present. There will never be another day exactly like this one to participate in. [Read “Do You Write in Your Calendar with Ink or Pencil?“]
2. Years Past and Future
Past
Last December, I took “A Day Away” to reflect on 2024 and look ahead to 2025. One of the exercises (I followed the excellent schedule in this book) involved counting out one object (I used pennies) for each year I’ve been alive, reflecting on a memory from each year of life. It was a very moving experience. Afterwards, I placed these 62 coins representing my 62 years in a clear ball—a visual representation of my past ripples, moments I can’t undo, but that continue to shape the world around me.
Future
The second half of the exercise was even more sobering. It asked me to count out coins for my remaining years. I arbitrarily chose 86 years as my lifespan (I’m being overly optimistic), so I added 24 more coins into a separate ball, curiously wondering how each of these years might unfold, one coin/year at a time. It is a reminder that I will continue to create ripples in the world with every passing year.
3. Nesting Dolls
I bought these nesting dolls two years ago when my One Word was Human. I see them as a representation of the different versions of myself as I’ve grown and evolved. This year, they are serving as a reminder that my past selves ripple into the person I am today. Each version of me—child, teenager, young adult, middle-aged woman—still exists within me, influencing the current me.
4. Perfume Bottle
My dear blogging friend Lynn gifted me this beautiful perfume bottle a few years ago. This year, I filled it with water, symbolizing the fluidity of life—how we are shaped by the forces around us yet contained within the experiences that define us.
5. Seashells
The ocean is the ultimate ripple-maker. These shells remind me of the waves I’ve felt crash over my feet when I stand at water’s edge—a constant flow of movement and sound that cannot be stopped, no matter what. Life is always advancing. Everything changes.
6. Old Watch
I found this old watch while cleaning out my uncle and aunt’s house, and I knew immediately it belonged in my jar as a reminder of ripples from my past. The lives of my ancestors (and current family) have definitely rippled into my own, shaping me in ways I can’t fully see, but that are undeniably real. My mother left behind many journal pages that I’ve yet to read; I hope to finally dive into those this year, continuing to allow the voices of my past to influence my present and future. [Read “Which Family Member Do You Wish You’d Know Better?“]
7. Stones
These stones are the most literal representation of Ripple: throw a stone into water, and it sets off a chain reaction of movement. One small act always creates change—sometimes big, sometimes barely perceptible, but always something. [Read “Throw Your Rock in the Water: How Small Actions Create Big Ripples“]
Each of these objects tells a story individually, but together, they create a deeper tapestry of what Ripple means to me: As I’ve changed from who I once was to who I am now, I will continue to change into who I will be in the future.
I’ve placed this jar in the center of my dining room table, where I will see it daily. I hope it will remind me all year long that even my smallest actions and words matter. And yours, too.
The ripples we create—whether intentional or not—extend far beyond what we’ll ever see or imagine.
If you have a One Word for this year, what small objects could represent its meaning to you? Or what objects remind you of my word Ripple? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
What a wonderful & deeply thought out collection of objects for your WOTY jar Lisa. Very thought provoking indeed!
Thank you for sharing.
blessings, Jennifer
I absolutely love the objects you chose for your Word Jar, Lisa. So thoughtful and full of personal meaning for you. My word for the year is Grace. What I’m doing so far is, when reading the blogs of others, my devotional, and/or the Bible, I write in a journal when the word grace appears. So far, so good! Blessings!
what I neat idea. I have been inspired to collect some things. off I go….
This is such a wonderful activity, Lisa. Thank you for sharing it! <3
Lisa! I cannot love this post more! You have certainly given me much to think about; and I think the items you chose are spot on.
Although I have been unable so far to participate in any of your One-Word link ups, I do have a word, “surround.” Thank you for inspiration on how to use this word.
Lisa, I read this post on Friday and have been thinking about it ever since. I love this concept and would love to do something like this with my One Word “Resilience” but it will take some more thought. This is where I’m not really very creative. but I do appreciate the opportunity to think through these things with you.
It helps me to read definitions for ideas for metaphoric symbols. Here are defs of resilience:
the power or ability of a material to return to its original form, position, etc., after being bent, compressed, or stretched; elasticity.
the ability of a person to adjust to or recover readily from illness, adversity, major life changes, etc.; buoyancy.
the ability of a system or organization to respond to or recover readily from a crisis, disruptive process, etc.:
Lynn again: so one idea might be something that stretches sans breaking and returns to original shape. Just a thought from the peanut gallery, and bottom line, it must speak to *you*. xo L
Lisa, love, love, LOVE this, because I am constantly thinking metaphorically and symbolically. And little objets d’art, so to speak, speak to *me* on deeper levels. So in my scribery I have such reminders and symbols that speak very particularly to me. Things like butterflies, twinkle lights, tiny cloisonne teapot, tiny cup, tiny crystal inkwell (no ink) and tiny real-silver writing plume that emerges from it (a gift from a friend when I released my book Love Letters to God), a little wicker basket atop my computer desk where I write w/ two gorgeous gold-accented fish (actually a pretty Christmas ornament) suspended from its handle. To me this empty basket represents me when I sit to write and have writer’s block. My brain is empty. But I know if I give the Lord my two little fish, and pray, He promises to multiply my words. He does! As well you know, I’m fairly prolific! 🙂
For my word quiet, I’ve loved your idea though in assembling symbols for your word, alone. LOVE THIS. And I love that you repurposed the perfume bottle I gave you. Actually it too, as you know, was a symbolic gift, and I have mine, empty, for God to collect my tears (Scripture says He collects our tears in His bottle–ergo, that too is His symbol for how precious He considers our tears to be). But I love your water idea. I was thinking about things like a small conch shell, symbolic of listening to God (like one “hears” the ocean in some shells) and if I’m quiet enough I hope to hear the Lord “speak” to me, a singing bowl (not for Eastern woo-woo stuff), but because of a wonderful poem by British Anglican poet Malcolm Guite about becoming an empty singing bowl, ourselves, and when we are quiet enough, our song will emerge, a little framed picture of Jesus agonizing alone in the Garden of Gethsemane. He Himself was not quiet in that moment, but He was left quietly alone in spirit to wrestle with God while His disciples slept. Quietude can feel lonely, and I know I need to have a wrestling session with the Lord. Gosh, I had a couple other ideas I wrote down, but they don’t spring to mind. But like you, when I see a symbol, it brings comfort and an inner knowing and a prompting to live them out.
Love you and all you write and how you think and how you encourage us!!!
xo
Lynn
Oh btw, I have my own sets of matryoshka dolls straight from Russia from Mother’s and my Russian piano-teacher pen friend of around 50 yrs. They are wonderful and so colorfully painted. There are more than what you show here (not a criticism, but just what I have). The tiniest is maybe a half-inch tall. I love their symbolism too for all the different aspects of our personalities that live inside each of us. It’s worth removing each outer shell to go deeper to let God reveal who we *really* are.
xo
L
There are so many layers to the ripple effect, Lisa. What a joy to recognize what others have given us and, likewise, to acknowledge the change/ripples within ourselves as we grow older and wiser.
Thanks for sharing. Many blessings to you!
This is so beautifully visual and concrete! I think we’re losing our ability to connect meaningfully with our physical surroundings and this practice really pushes back!
I love the different objects you found that remind you of your word. I especially like the nesting dolls. Sometimes I feel like younger versions of myself are different people almost. But I like how you appreciate how each version of you influenced the current you.
I love the idea of collecting objects. My word is “pause.” I will share my word in a blog post tomorrow, but now I can’t wait to start collecting objects. Lisa, you never disappoint me when I read your articles.
I appreciate you linking up with Grace & Truth! Your post resonated deeply, and I’m thrilled to feature it on my Pinterest board. You can find it here: https://www.pinterest.com/embracingtheune/grace-truth-christian-link-up-featured-posts/.
What a great variety of items you have already added to your jar. I wonder what else you will uncover and add to the collection. I look forward to reading about the journey.