Written by Online therapist Dr. Gloria Vanderhorst, Ph.D.

ETC. &C,

Lists, Language, and the Ritual of Renewal

Et cetera—and so much more. For individuals in Maryland and DC, this reflection explores how shorthand symbols like “etc.” and “&c,” mirror our emotional shorthand, and how the New Year invites us to expand, revise, and reimagine our lists.

Are you familiar with these abbreviations? I am sure the first one is very familiar, and the second means the same. The second is just an older version. Etc. stands for et cetera, which means “and other similar things.” We use this abbreviation to indicate that the list we are making has other members, and they are too numerous to enumerate. This is a shorthand. If the reader wishes to find other members on the same list, they can seek them out for themselves.

What are you seeking? What lists are you making? What lists are you sending to others? What lists are coming to you?

At this time, when we begin a new year, everyone tends to focus on lists. Some are making lists for the future. Some are making lists of accomplishments from the past. A few are making lists of things to avoid moving forward. Your lists may be physical things that you put in a journal. Perhaps you have kept a record of your ideas for the beginning of the new year for decades. Or you may have one or two that have become good family stories. Those are the best. Remember the time…

We treat the new year as a time of respect by rethinking and starting over. Of course, we could choose any time of the year to begin something new or make resolutions, yet we tend to cram all of these into early January. How many of you have resolved to treat your body better? You promise to lose weight, or you spend the month of January with no alcohol. How did that work out?

Change is hard. Change requires support. We publish these resolutions to get the support we need to fulfill them. My New Year’s resolution is to return to a book I have been writing about the emotional development of boys and men. I want to confront how we raise boys and help people take a closer look at their own parenting and teaching of boys. I want to engage men in understanding why emotional expression seems so difficult. I want families to try new things as they parent their boys. I want organizations like schools, scouts, and sports activities to consider how they relate to boys and make some critical changes.

And, etc.

Want to explore meaningful New Year’s resolutions and how to make them stick? Visit The Everygirl’s list of realistic resolutions, Bright Color Mom’s 100 ideas for 2025, and Good Mind and Body’s most popular resolutions.

If you’re reflecting on change, intention, or emotional growth, therapy can help. Learn more about individual therapy in Maryland and DC or explore therapeutic approaches that support emotional insight and personal transformation.