It's that time again--another new year. Beyond the parties, champagne toasts and Auld Lang Syne, I feel like "been there, done that". As I experience my significant number of new years (let's just say more than 21), I have that familiar guilt of resolutions past that lasted maybe a month or two and were then forgotten or put aside. Believe me, I tried, but sitting here making a list of things I'd like to do is easy. Actually DOING them can be hard when you figure in demands on time by work and family.
So, as usual, I started looking on the internet for my like-minded buddies, those who tried and failed to lose weight, exercise everyday, learn a new language, travel the world. I noticed a pattern--the more lofty the resolution, the more likely it was to fail. I then Googled "simple resolutions" and found some ideas for changes that actually seem possible. Simple things like going through old family photos, writing names and dates on the back. Yes, kids, I have mentioned that photos used to be exclusively on shiny paper, not stored in a phone or computer. I have several albums and totes to prove this. As a grandmother, I realize that the black and white photos given to me by my parents are people familiar to me from my childhood. But, my children don't know about my Uncle Frank who had a farm in Butler, PA. Or my mother's parents, both immigrants, who left eastern Europe in the early 1900's to find a better life. Grainy black and white photos can be hard to recognize if you know who they are let alone are seeing them for the first time.
How about something as simple as a journal? A spiral bound notebook where you simply write down a daily experience. 2022 in bold black lettering on the cover. Not a page every day...a simple paragraph of how you felt waking up to snow on the ground, or seeing an old friend, hearing a song that now goes on your playlist. Can you imagine passing that along to your children and grandchildren one day? With both my parents passed away, I crave anything that brings them back to life.
And, finally, the emotional resolution to mend a fence, fix a broken relationship. Something as simple as a text or card saying, "I'm thinking of you" or "I wish we were friends" could open the door. Depending on the rift, the fix might take more than that but that open door will allow more flow than if it's closed and locked.
I wish you all the best in tackling a new year's resolution. Remember, think doable. Or, maybe rename it your new year's celebration. A change or behavior that will help you find contentment throughout 2022. Let us know if anything clicks--we would love to share the successes!
