The afternoon of New Year's Eve, Amelia, Emerson, and I started talking about resolutions.
"What are resolutions, mommy?"
"Well, they are things in your life that you would like to fix or change in the new year."
"What does THAT mean?"
"Well, like my resolution for this year would be to lose weight and eat healthier. Or maybe I would resolve to exercise more."
"Why do you do that?"
"Well, it's kind of like a goal that you want to set for the new year."
"I think that is the dumbest thing that I've heard."
"Amelia! Why do you say that?"
"Well, you're telling me that we are going to reflect on the way that we failed in this year, think about how we are going to change who we are, and start a new year already thinking negative about ourselves and not liking who we are?"
When it was explained to me by a seven-year-old, I realized how ridiculous resolutions seem. It was then that I decided we were going to follow through with my rememberlutions project. I had seen the project on a buzzfeed article. Decorate a jar any way you want, and throughout the year you write down memories, accomplishments, important things that happened on a piece of paper and put it in the jar. Then, on December 31st of 2015, you pull the papers out and reflect on your most amazing year. I loved it when I saw it, but my conversation about resolutions with Amelia sealed the deal. We went to Michaels and loaded up on stickers, glitter glue, ribbon, foam pieces, and other embellishments. We came home and got to work, putting our jars together. We made them our own. We laughed and talked about our hopes and dreams for the new year. We talked about what we wanted to leave behind in the old year. And we decided what we were going to do with our jars. Emerson was adamant that her jar stay in her room. Amelia wanted to make sure that we didn't forget and end up with an empty jar in December 2015. I asked if we should write down something every day so it becomes a habit. I know in my stressful, busy life that I would forget. So making it a habit, but also working to find a positive about every day we encounter seems important also!
When we were finished with our jars, we took pictures of them to share on Facebook and then we sat back together.
"Mommy, this was great!" Amelia let me know that she approved, and so did Emerson!
"I agree. MUCH better than a resolution!"
Amelia is right. Every year we pick something that we don't like about ourselves and choose a goal based on that. We strive towards something that changes us. Most of the time it's for the better. But it doesn't seem like the best way to bring in the new year. Picking yourself apart to come up with something that you'll just end up beating yourself up over when you are not successful. And be honest...how many resolutions have actually come to fruition for you? I have chosen to lose weight and eat better as my resolution for the last, oh, probably at least 20 years!! Guess what? I'm still fat! I still eat more Big Macs than I should. And typically, my resolution IS a reminder of my failures in life, and my failures with resolutions.
This year? Peace! Happiness! Excitement about my New Years rememberlution! I get 365 days of good stuff to think about!! We had a blast already predicting things we might write for certain days! Aunt Julie coming to visit. Baby Edie's baptism. The Seahawks winning the Super Bowl. Fun, exciting things are coming! And in that list for me? Starting a new weight loss challenge. Maying losing twenty pounds. Maybe just folding the laundry as it comes right out of the dryer rather than letting it pile up on the bedroom floor. A whole year of excitement! A whole year of little victories. A tiny shift in perspective: from resolutions to rememberlutions, but a profound difference in how I ended 2014 and rang in 2015.
Try it! Toss out your resolutions and sit down as a family, with friends, with loved ones and create! A jar, a box, a can...anything! What could you put in your jar? Bought a new house? Retired? Traveled to see family? It puts a smile on my face just thinking of all the possibilities for your jar! And then think about New Years Eve...pulling strip by strip out of the jar and thinking about all the good that happened in a year.
So many of my blog posts have to do with heartache and sadness, for me and for friends. This, for me, is a game-changer in that I get 365 days of seeking out the good!! So, join me! Do it! Find your happy this year! For many, and for me at times, my happy has been missing. And now, I get to see it, even the little tiny moments, filling a jar as we turn each page of 2015!
Happy New Year, my friends and family! I hope that the coming year brings you peace, joy, and a whole year of rememberlutions!
