New Year’s Resolutions

What do we think about New Year’s Resolutions? Well, basically, I think they’re a good thing , but I never make any myself because I’m practically perfect anyway ( translation: I don’t have the time or energy to work on self improvement).

I don’t need to lose weight as it hasn’t changed much in the last 25-30 years and Becky is my personal guide to becoming a better person. I also have 12 mini guides (students with special needs) who travel on my school bus every day. They all have personal challenges that they approach with smiles and generosity. I am constantly humbled in their collective presence.

So where does that leave us? I usually make a list of things I think I may achieve in the next year. It may be something as simple as; install two new basement windows, or as involved as; get a part-time job, which involved retraining and upgrading my drivers license. Either way, they are things that need to be accomplished in a certain time frame. It helps me focus what little energy, or financial surplus, I have, into something productive.

The photo that heads this post is a statue of Peter Pan that I found in a park today in St. John’s. In my head this little character sums up my thoughts on New Year’s Resolutions. They are mostly fantasy, but we enjoy them all the same. They never grow old, so we keep making them, and mostly, we love this idea that anything is possible. “We can fly, we can fly”!

If you do make resolutions, remember that there are no Resolution Police. For the rest of you, I know you are wonderful anyway and do not need to promote change.

For Becky, her goal is to walk. This year she had some treatment that will help her achieve that. I think it is unlikely that she will attain this huge goal in twelve short months, but she is certainly capable of making smaller changes that will enable her to walk in the future. Ultimately, she will be loved whatever happens. This one physical act does not define her as a person.

As we approach 2015, part of me hopes that nothing changes as we are so happy right now. So rather than hoping for a better year, I think I am hoping for a similar year. 2014 was a good year for us, and I am sad to see it leave. Realistically, I know that change comes regardless, but perhaps it can wait a little longer….