A few days ago my family and I were all sitting round the
dining room table, toasting the holiday and reveling in good cheer. Fast
forward to December 27th or 28th and the scene is a
little different. Everyone is over-sugared, overtired, and grumpy because
Christmas is over. Toys that were exulted over on Christmas Day are now kicked
into the corner, forgotten. Children
bicker over who gets to use the last AA batteries in the house, or who gets to
play the Wii first, or who hit whom. The dog hasn’t been walked, the toddler is
teething, and I’m already looking at the calendar, wondering how long it is
until they’re all back at school.
Does this sound familiar?
If it doesn’t, then I clearly need some tips from you! The
week after Christmas, in our house, has traditionally been one of the hardest
weeks of the year. The expectation and enjoyment has been replaced by
dissatisfaction and disappointment. It doesn’t matter what the presents are, or
how much family time we have, or even what we do. Dragging all the kids out on
a walk sometimes has a restorative effect… for a little while. And then it’s
back to the blues.
Which leads me to my New Year’s resolutions. I’m not going
to resolve (usually fruitlessly) to lose weight, exercise, eat better, or
anything like that. No, my New Year’s resolution is to enjoy life more. And by
that I don’t mean to pursue things only for pleasure, or live for leisure, or
something along those lines. No, what I mean is I want to live in the moment
more—and enjoy it, for what it is. I want to enjoy peeling carrots for dinner
while my six-year-old acts out Frozen
around me. I want to enjoy cuddling my only-wants-mummy toddler. I want to
enjoy life as a full-time writer and mother of five children whose husband
works seventy hours a week. Does that sound like a difficult task? Maybe, but I
do believe attitude is important. My attitude this week hasn’t been that great.
Instead of being in the moment, I’m slogging through it. And I want to change
that. This is the life God has given me, and I’m very grateful for it. I’m so
very thankful for healthy children and a loving spouse and a career I love,
writing books that people love.
What about you? What is your New Year’s resolution? Do you
have any tips for living life in the moment?
2 comments:
Happy New Year! I do not make resolutions!
Denise
I don't make any resolutions. I never could stick with them and only ended up depressed when I failed.
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