Wondering, Wandering, and Writing

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS!! Eh, no.

It’s that time of year.  The festivities are done, or almost, except that last hu-rah of the year on New Year’s Eve, and it’s back to the grind of everyday living.  Back to normalcy instead of excess.  Time to shed those extra holiday (or the last ten years’) pounds and get in shape.  Time to get organized and stay that way. Time to get involved in the community or spend more time with family.

Wait!  This is 2020.  There were to be no grand celebrations.  A quick look through social media reveals a different story.  Some who celebrated with their household alone still pigged out on pig and lots of trimmings and desserts.  Some who isolated have fared well; others not so much, especially mentally and emotionally.  Most of us are ready for a restart and a new direction.  What better time to head that way than New Year’s, right?

Eh, no.

Decades ago I gave up making any New Year’s Resolutions.  Before the media shared stories of how bad it can be to set your sights high in late December only to fail miserably by mid-February (or January), I had lived that process enough to give it up.  Why set myself up for failure? Besides, a resolution sounds like such a formal and binding agreement. Without a New Year’s resolution, do I stay in the same rut forever?  Oh no, not me.

Someone who is more knowledgeable about psychology and sociology can probably explain it, while I have little idea why I generally prepare for a “new start” in the spring and in the fall. I tend to credit the educational system with that tendency.  I have either been in school or had a child in school or taught in a school for over half my life.  The school year starts in the fall.  Homeschool conventions tend to be held in the spring, when you need to be deciding on curriculum for the next year.  Some things work well and you keep them; others don’t and you switch to something else.

My tendency to start things anew in the spring may have a deeper root.  I LOVE to watch the baby leaves emerge and the first grass sprout and the crocus and muscari bloom. The earth is visibly renewing and my spirit rejoices with it.

So, any New Year’s resolutions here?  Nope.  I’ll revel in the lengthening days and wait for Spring.

Now …. where’s that protein drink I should have for breakfast instead of the brownie with caramel and whipped cream?

#bgwww20