Why expand? Here are some further reflections on my word of the year…
First, this year has been a year in which certain aspects of my life have become more limited. I’ve had some health issues, and my food choices are more restricted as a result. I won’t bore you with all the details. I’m finding I’m relieved when I’m eating a meal that I know will agree with me. As a result, I tend to mostly choose those meals. There are some foods I eat pretty much everyday. Between no- fat, no spicy foods, no carbonated beverages, very little coffee or chocolate, and limited dairy, I’ve become a much less adventurous eater. Yawn.
Second, the same health issues that are limiting my eating also don’t agree with intense cardio and heavy lifting, so my fitness activities have also become limited. I’m still lifting weights, just avoiding some moves and doing more reps of lighter weights. I’m riding my bike, outdoors and on the trainer, but it’s all Zone 2, all the time. Cautious and careful. Slow and steady. More yawns.
See From beast to bunny? Sam is thinking about her fitness future and about changing the focus of her bike training for more about this.
But it’s not just the recent health issues. I’m also watching friends, my age and older, start to shrink their social worlds and their range of activities. Friends are announcing that they are no longer willing to sleep in tents, for example. Other friends announce that they will no longer fly economy (!) and that they would rather not travel than fly in the cheap seats.
There’s a lot of “now that I’m 50 or 60, I’m not doing X any more…”
That’s fine, I think, if you’re doing other exciting things instead, but mostly it seems they are just doing less.
I’m not interested in doing less. I’m keen on expanding my activities and my horizons.
What expanding looks like
But when I wrote my 26 for 2026 list, I did it quickly and I didn’t think about my word of the year really.
Then when I reviewed my 26 for 2026 list, I saw what I expected to see: my usual activities, just… more of them. More bike rides. More swims. More camping. Safe. Familiar. All things I love but it’s not particularly expansive.
So I’m expanding my list. I’m pushing myself to add things that genuinely expand my world, even while working within my current health constraints.
Here’s what I’m adding:
Try new activities in my existing spaces. I can’t do intense cardio right now, but I can explore new routes on my Zone 2 rides. I can try some new fitness classes at my fancy gym. I can do a dance class. Expansion doesn’t always mean going further—sometimes it means seeing what’s been here all along.
Say yes to more local invitations. When the community centre posts about a new program, when a colleague suggests a walking meeting, when my neighbour mentions a local event—I’m going to lean toward yes. Not every invitation needs to be filtered through “will I enjoy this?” or “is this really my thing?” Sometimes expansion means showing up and finding out. I want to be more generous and open to the world.
Bring people together. The back-to-school BBQ and the bloggers’ BBQ worked because people actually want to connect—they just need someone to create the space. What if I hosted a monthly book club at the local book store? Or organized dog-walking meetups? I can expand my community by helping others connect.
Challenge my food limitations creatively. I can’t eat all of my old favourites, but I can become curious about what I can eat. That new Vietnamese restaurant might have something perfect for me. The farmers’ market might introduce me to vegetables I’ve never tried. Limitation doesn’t have to mean diminishment—it can be an invitation to explore differently.
Reframe rest as expansion. Here’s the hard one: accepting that sometimes expansion means expanding my capacity to be still, to recover, to let my body heal. That’s not shrinking my world. That’s making space for more living later.
Here’s what strikes me as I write this: we’re sold a particular narrative about aging that’s deeply gendered. Women are supposed to embrace our limitations with grace, become “cozy,” and shrink into wisdom and contentment. Don’t be demanding. Don’t take up space. Settle.
And yes, there’s wisdom in letting go of things that no longer serve us. But there’s a difference between discernment and diminishment. Between choosing what matters and accepting less because we think we should.
Expansion for me isn’t about proving anything or pushing through pain. It’s about refusing the story that my world should automatically get smaller. It’s about recognizing that within my constraints, there’s still room for more—more connection, more discovery, more joy, more community, more life.
In light of all of that, here are some of the specific things I’d like to add to my 26 in 2026 list:
🌳Purchase a conservation area pass and visit all 11 local conservation areas plus the Luther Marsh, one per month., and a provincial park pass with the goal of visiting 6 new ones this year.
“The Grand River Conservation Areas Membership card allows entry to 11 conservation areas and the Luther Marsh Wildlife Management Area during their operating seasons, for up to 6 people in one vehicle (or walking/biking in as a group). The cost of a membership is $175.00.”
🚲Volunteer with the Guelph Coalition for Active Transportation, perhaps at some of their events.
🐦 Attend at least one event organized by Nature Guelph, like the self-driving Winter Bird Tour.
🌈Check out the queer sporty community in Guelph. There’s an LGBTQ Curling League. There’s the Girls Gays and Theys Bike Club. I’m sure others exist.
🏊♀️I want to find a local swimming spot, besides Guelph Lake (too much goose poop) and the Elora Quarry (too busy and too far away). I want to try the Rockwood Conservation area and also Shade’s Mills Conservation area and Belwood Lake. This will be easier with my conservation area membership, see above.
Photo by Wolfgang Weiser on Pexels.com
Your turn
What does expansion look like for you? Where have you noticed your world starting to contract—and what would it mean to push back against that? I’d love to hear what you’re trying in 2026.