Jan 06 2009
Instead of a New Year’s Resolution
Reading through some of my favorite blogs, I have noticed that instead of setting goals, people are choosing one word that they will focus on for the year. This word can be someting tangible or intangible. It can be something you’ve struggled with in the past but are willing to challenge yourself with now. It can be a feeling or an emotion that you’d like to keep at the forefront throughout the year.
I think that this is a fabulous idea and have decided to give it a try. Reading through some of the suggestions and thinking about where I am in my life right now, my word for 2009 is going to be acceptance. One of my most important values in life have always been to be a great wife, daughter and friend. Becoming a mother has added a new dimension to how and where I spend my time/energy. I believe (and hope) that focusing on acceptance will allow me to be ok with the fact that not everything will always be clean, put away and perfectly organized. It will hopefully allow me to be less anxious, stressed and overwhelmed by my never-ending to-do lists and focus more on living in the moment, no matter how chaotic or unplanned it might be.
As we start of this new year, I am excited about giving this exercise a try and will report back on how it’s working for me.
Ok folks, I read the blog then walked away to think of a word which would suit my emotions for this new year of 2009. I walked to my kitchen to begin preparing dinner for my family, as I passed the picture of my mother “Libby”, the word for me immediately came to mind. That word would be GRATITUDE!
Now to think of what am I most grateful for, again, I looked at the picture and realized I would not be here if Mom (Me-Me in the grandchildren’s terms) would not have given me life. So I am so very grateful for the life she gave me, the values and ethics she taught me and most of all the love she so freely gave to me and my brother, Rick. My only wish is that she could have been a part of all of the wonderful little grandbabies who she is responsible for in a round about way. She would be having so much fun with them all.
My gratitude extends to my husband and sons, whom I have shared my life with for so many years.
I am blessed and grateful for my new little granddaughter Sara Elizabeth (named after Libby) and for the woman, my daughter in law Shelley, who gave birth to her and gives me so much love and support.
I have gratitude for the many gifts and talents I have been given. I was able to make a wonderful living in dentistry for so many years, I learned how to work with people in sometimes stressful situations, to comfort them and continue on with my learned technology and acquired touch.
My husband and I were blessed with a sweet little girl, who is not biologically ours in any manner, whom we have been loving and nourishing for about a year and a half. She has taught me so much tolerance and acceptance in many areas. She was not in our plans at this stage of life, but our time with her has been a gift and complete joy.
I am grateful for my ability to paint, granted I am not a Piccasso, or Rembrandt, but whatever talent I have is a gift given from the one above and I want to use it to the best of my ability and to his glory.
I have been given the gift of discernment and I try to use it to help others.
I am so grateful that I have been given the gift of forgiveness for the many sins and errors I have committed in my life and with that goes the promise of eternal life and seeing my Mom and other family members again.
Yes my life has been filled with so many blessings, and GRATITUDE is at the top of my list for this year and the rest of my life.
]Thank you Tina for allowing me to take time to think, to sort out and to verbalize my Gratitude.