What’s in a word ~ Resolution

Happy New Year!! It’s been a while since I’ve been on the blog and am happy to be back. I have been thinking a lot lately about words. Have you ever received an email that you were sure that the author had a certain meaning behind the text, only to find out it was nothing like you thought? It certainly has happened to me. I also think that can happen with words as well. Especially now, with slang and the Urban Dictionary, words have taken on whole new meanings.

It’s 2021 – a brand new year, a fresh start. This is the time that traditionally we make a resolution. The word “resolution” has so many meanings. Resolution can mean the the maximum number of pixels on a monitor according to the Urban dictionary. It can mean the action of solving a problem or the quality of being determined. At this time of year it’s when we all make a decision to do or not do something.

Every year for most of my life I’ve made the same resolutions; get healthier, lose weight, exercise more. They are probably the most popular resolutions that most people make. There is also the “word of the year” type resolutions. A word that a person determines to be their focus for the year (ie Faith, Self-love, Compassions, etc). This year, I’m going to set goals. Little things that I can accomplish, feel good about, and then move on to the next one. I’ve always been goal oriented. For me, it’s about seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Once a goal is competed, I always feel accomplished, whether it’s running 3 miles or cleaning all four of my bathrooms!

So this year I have a list. Some are small goals and some are large. I don’t plan trying to complete them in any order, and I may work on some at the same time. Yes, there will still be “exercise more”, and “eat healthier”, but there also will be things that I enjoy that I don’t do as often like “write more/start a journal”, “read more than just on vacations”.

I guess a word that I can use for the year is “self-care”. If you are a mom or caregiver of any kind, you know that thinking of ourselves is probably the last thing we do. Something as simple as making a cup of tea or coffee and then settling in a chair to watch a favorite movie to something bigger like taking the time to get a massage, facial, or heck even a bath, can seem like a luxury when there are so many things that need to be done. We recently remodeled the master bath at the homestead. You can bet taking more baths is on my list of goals and part of my self-care. I can’t wait until the first time I lower these old bones into a bubble-filled, floral scented, tub of perfectly tempered water. I can feel myself relaxing already.

No matter what you decide to try for the next year, give yourself some grace. You may not be able to complete a resolution as you first proclaimed. You may find out that it was not realistic (hey losing 10 pounds a day sounds great, but accomplishing it might be a little tricky). It’s okay. You can always revise and reinvent it. I’m sure I will be over the next weeks and months.