I love resolutions. I hate resolutions.
And I can’t help but see, this year, how Mary’s involved in it for me.
This January 1 marks my tenth year as a mother. My oldest child — a daughter who’s almost as tall as I am, has a sassy streak and a sense of humor, and looks so much like my husband that it’s a bit uncanny — was born on this feast, this last day of the Octave of Christmas, feast of Mary, and the beginning of the year.
It’s almost like God was making sure I would always have to take January 1 seriously, no matter what. No, scratch that. It’s almost like Mary was making sure I was paying attention.
I have a whole category of resolutions…years ago, I would make a New Month’s Resolution. Goal-making is a struggle I face…is it worth it?
Well, maybe.
The crusty old lady inside me rolls her eyes, having seen it all before, the ups and downs, the wins and fails, the haves and have-nots.
But the perky cheerleader can’t help but get a little riled up, a little excited, a little inspired by the blank new slate.
So what if the family calendar isn’t done (again)? So what if I slept a whole week instead of working away like I planned to do? So what if my to-do list is daunting and scary and perhaps even impossible?
There’s still hope.
And maybe that’s why I always come back to resolutions. Because of the hope they represent.
If you’re making resolutions, you’re not giving up.
I suspect I will be making resolutions of some sort this year, even if it’s just “stay sane” and “keep on blogging.” (Hey, there’s a baby due. And some other big things.) Maybe I’ll even resurrect those monthly resolutions as a way to remind myself to keep at it…
I agree about the love/hate relationship with resolutions, Sarah. I think, for me, what helps is to remember that I am fallible and to give myself a break when I mess up or don’t stick rigidly to what I had planned. Every day I consecrate my plans to Our Lady, because I have learned that life is fluid and always changing, so I have to adjust my plans and expectations to what God may be asking of me in the moment. The Holy Spirit doesn’t often work in my life when it is convenient! 🙂 When is baby due, anyway?