It's a snowy New Year's morning in Iowa and it fits with my desire for a fresh start. A new layer of snow, a clean sheet of paper, a blank canvas, all ready for us to make our mark. I've hung my new calendars - a lovely Carl Larsson art calendar I received as a gift and the functional on-the-fridge one that kinda keeps track of our family.My grandparents, Pearl and Lester, were married on New Year's Day. A lovely and symbolic gesture of a new beginning.
It is a human concept, after all. This idea of calendars and ways of keeping time is something we've created, so why do we allow the turning of the year to have such power over us?
For those of us at a certain age, the concept of time is ever-present. We are beholden to our daily lists of things to do that we must schedule time with friends and time to play and time to just be. At the same time, we notice the dramatic march of time as we watch our children and grandchildren and our parents, and ourselves, grow.
And while today is just a Wednesday and tomorrow we return to work and school, there is something about that calendar of 365 days. How will those days be spent? Who will we spend them with? What do I want to be sure I get to do this coming year? Go gently with that or you could be totally overwhelmed, just saying.
What I hope you will consider is becoming more aware of the little things that make you smile, that make you think, that make you wonder.
"We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by
room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe
this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of
our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential."
-- Ellen Goodman
-- Ellen Goodman
2 comments:
It my be my Native upbringing, but I tend to pattern my thoughts and actions after the seasons rather than the cycle of a new year. Winter is a dormant time to rest, rejuvenate, and plan ahead. Spring is a time of new growth; a time to implement positive changes into my psyche. Summer is a time to let those changes strengthen, take root and grow. And fall, my favorite time of year, is time to cease the daily reinforcements and just wear those changes and see how they fit. This year I will be working on my perception of time.
So true! I have also recently read about following moon cycles - allowing ourselves to grow and set out intentions with the waxing moon and then being introspective and evaluate how the intention is working during the waning of the moon.
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