On New Year’s Eve most people clink glasses, make resolutions, and skip over pledges made the year prior. We all mean well. Life just gets in the way and we forget what we started out doing 365 days ago.
In 2012, I vowed to follow an Eastern path, and attempt to practice “mindfulness.” I failed when our 16 year old moved into the driver’s seat. It didn’t bring out the Zen in me. Neither did a lot of other things.
2013 Happiness Jar
This year we are launching a new family tradition to foster optimism and overcome resolution amnesia. Anything good that happens is written on a note and deposited in a 2013 Happiness Jar. Resolutions for 2013 are added to the jar too. On January 1, 2014, we’ll read all the happiness deposits, reliving the joyous moments and enthusiasm from the year gone by. Understanding that resolutions are aspirations versus guarantees, I expect we’ll uncover both resolution near misses and home runs. That’s ok too!
My mother says, “The written word is always there while the spoken word is light as air.” Knowing that sometimes life is an “I love you often…just not always” affair, I am taking mom’s advice and committing the best of times in writing.
May your Happiness Jar runneth over in 2013!
Julie
P.S. For the record, Margot is now 17 and a very competent driver.
Regarding your 16 year old moving into the driver’s seat reminds me of my friend Tony’s Italian Mother who just passed away at 87 stating to me, “Little kids little problems, BIG KIDS BIG PROBLEMS.” True Dat!!!
So true, however in this case I turned out to be the bigger problem. Mom put more dings on the car than daughter. Perhaps I should add,
“Margot is a great driver” in our 2013 Happiness Jar!
I am going to make a contribution today. I think I should move the Jar next to the coffee pot!
Thank you. Until now the jar has been lacking testosterone energy!