Here we are again

On my desk I have a little plaque, given to me many years ago by one of my dear friends Brenda Boyte, who knows me quite well. It reads, "Oh God of second chances and new beginnings, here I am again." And here we all are again--at the beginning of a new year--2014! Wow!

Do you, like me, love new days, new weeks, new months, and new years?! Since I was a child and teenager, new beginnings have appealed to me. I do wonder if it's because I think that I've always screwed up so badly! Or is it the wonderfulness of that fresh clean slate for us to write on--literally and figuratively?

When I taught school, I also used to love new school years, new semesters, new roll books, new pages in the roll book, etc. Clean slates! I would stress to my students each year, each semester, each 6-weeks how they had clean slates. They could start afresh and try to do better. (Most didn't improve much--kept making the same mistakes over and over, perhaps hoping for a different result. Obviously, I didn't stress enough to my students that improving would take some effort on their parts!)

I used to make numerous New Year's resolutions religiously year after year. Now, not so much. As a matter of fact on a recent retreat, I decided to love what is, to love just who I am. To accept and to cherish myself, just the way I am. "Warts and all," as one friend puts it.

But that doesn't mean that I won't still get enthused over a new year! And that I won't still try to do better. I'll be 65 on May 30. That, I believe, is the beginning of old age. I'm excited about another new beginning, another new phrase or stage of my life! Thank you, Mother/Father God, that I have almost reached "old age."

In yoga this morning at Studio Mills in downtown Kingston Springs, we did a cool exercise for the new year. We sat in upavistha (seated pose) and slowly breathed fully in and fully out. As we breathed out we released the things that did not serve us well this past year, and we breathed in the things that we wanted to keep. What would you have breathed in and out?

These are some of the things that I want to release:

fear--In writing my memoirs I've realized how fearful I've been most all my life. It's time to let fear go, let it go, let it go . . .

illusions--any false beliefs about myself or others

critical judgements--of myself and others

envy--Yes, the green-eyed monster can still plague me sometimes and play havoc with my serenity. (Here recently, I've felt jealous of a 45-year-old kayaking friend posting pictures of herself enjoying winter paddling on the plateau. Winter paddling in white water is something I've had to give up at my age.)

sad memories--The more I write my memoirs and revisit some of those places in my life, the more I can let them go, let them go . . . Thank you, dear readers, for that release.

clutter--I want to be a minimalist and create spots of senseless beauty--especially atop my desk, in my kitchen and bathroom, in my art room, and in my mind.


These are some of the things that I want to keep:

love and trust--myself and others more

truth and self-confidence--knowing and embracing them deeply into my heart's core

kindness--Practice random acts of kindness.

fun--walking and yoga and kayaking

more fun--weekly writing of a blog post and painting (art) and quilting

healthier meals--more "homemade," fewer frozen meals

a budget--Inspired by my kids (Ellen and Nekos) who are following Dave Ramsey's financial wisdom, I want not only to write out a monthly spending plan (budget), but also to actually follow it!


On another, but similar note, we sang this song in church on Sunday, and I wanted to leave you with its words and sentiments.