Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Time for Gratitude...New Beginnings

I love January.

No, really, I do.

What's not to love? Yeah, I know it's really cold...at least here in South Dakota. And yeah, I know that there can be some "after the Holidays blues", belts feeling a little tighter than they did before Thanksgiving, and a feeling of "What NOW?".

Well, even though I feel most of those things too, I also love that it's the beginning of a new year. It's like a chance to start all over, and try again to "get it right". At least for me, as soon as the Christmas decorations are taken down, it's game on. I feel renewed, refreshed, and ready to take on the things that I've been putting off forever - like I've been covered with a fresh blanket of snow. Everything is white and clean.


You know what kind of things I mean, right? Things like purposing to spend more time reading to the kids and playing with them more often, having a date night with my husband a minimum of once a month, *finally* organizing the kids' toys/playroom, cleaning off my desk, cleaning out kitchen cupboards, structuring my day to more efficiently use my time, loose weight, get healthier, etc, etc.

Am I 100% successful at all these things? No. Do I continue to try? YES!

January to me, is a time of new beginnings, and I am so grateful for this time of the year. It can be really easy to get swallowed up in the grind of daily life and the expectations that we try to live up to every.single.day. No matter what you do, as a parent (or, you know - just a human being), life is a constant juggling act...especially when the kiddos reach preschool age. There's always something going on it seems - school/homeschool, birthday parties, lessons (piano, dance, swimming, you-name-it), church, etc, etc. That's not even touching your own responsibilities - work, volunteer obligations, sinks full of dishes, mountains of laundry, attempting to make healthy meals for your family, keeping the floor clean, teaching your kids to contribute to the household...let alone time for yourself.

Life can get overwhelming.

That's why I love January. New beginnings and fresh outlooks abound.

~Evie

No comments: