Yes, I need to lose weight and get more exercise but neither one of these will be my New Years’ goal.
Too many years I focused on my outside when it came to making New Year’s resolutions. This year will be different. I’m going to work on the inside first.
The older I get, the more I think about life and its journey. I look at the lives my parents have lived and I realize just how remarkable they are. They held fast to what was most important — their values, their family, their ability to make things better. The rest just fell into place because the hard work was already done.
Live Like You Were Dying
I have a lot of catching up to do to be on their level, not that I’m competing. It would be a pipe dream. What I hope to do is to make myself the person I should be on the inside. It reminded me of that song Tim McGraw sings, “Live Like You Were Dying,” written by Tim Nichols.
Here are just a few of the words:
And I loved deeper
And I spoke sweeter
And I watched an eagle as it was flying
And he said
“Someday I hope you get the chance
To live like you were dying . . .”
Forgive and Let Go
The heart must be the hardest thing to change but over time I’ve seen mine mature in little ways. This year I want to let go of old hurts — to forgive and let go. To focus on the sweeter things in life will be my aim. There’s plenty of ugliness in this old world but it doesn’t have to live in my heart or stay long in my head.
When we’re caring for older people, we can see what hurts are made even worse when they’re held onto too long. I don’t want to be a bitter person now or in the future. I’ve made mistakes and I truly hope those I love forgive me. I must be willing to also forgive to live a happy life.
For you caregivers out there — you have a very hard job. It will be easy to get overly tired and want more for yourself — more time, more leisure, more plain old good rest. You deserve it all. Reach out before you become overwhelmed. Getting help is a sign of strength, not a weakness. You matter so much. What you give is priceless. It is a gift you are giving to a loved one and one that will bless you also.
May you have the most wonderful year in 2019!
