2008: more than just a new calendar

By Karrie McAllister

Part of me thinks that the reason Christmas is celebrated in December is so that we can eat all that we want and make resolutions to lose the weight one week later when New Years rolls around.
And this year, as we all hang up our new calendars that we got for Christmas, is no different. We spent our holidays indulging in cookies and other goodies. (Note to faithful readers: my husband actually bought the tur-duck-hen and we ate it! Delicious!)
Now that the traditional pork and sauerkraut from our New Year’s Day meal is officially digested, it’s time to sit down and think about the upcoming year, the changes we’d like to make and the goals we set for ourselves.
I think the object of making New Year’s resolutions is to make them obtainable. It seems every year I make the same promise to myself—to wash, dry, fold and put away the laundry all in one day instead of living out of clothes baskets in the laundry room for weeks on end. And every year I break my resolution before the Valentine’s candy comes out.
So this year, I’m vowing something realistic. For the year 2008, I hereby resolve to lose two pounds and exercise once a month and of course to wash and dry the laundry before the hampers all fill up again. Should all be manageable…I hope!
But even making the simplest of resolutions gets me thinking what resolutions are all about and why we make them. In an attempt to fully understand resolutions myself, I turn to my children and attempt to explain it to them.
“When we make New Year’s resolutions, we’re making a promise to ourselves to be better people, to make ourselves healthier and happier, and to get rid of bad habits.”
“Bad habits? Like not listening?” says the six-year-old girl.
“Or being stupid?” says the four-year-old boy.
Hmmm… this may be harder than I thought.
But after further explanation while showing them the new calendar and a few more gray hairs, I managed to kind of, sort of get the idea across to them.
And in case you’re in need of a few last minute resolutions to add to your list, I thought I’d share what they had to say. Feel free to borrow any of these that you wish.
My six-year-old daughter resolves to do the following: Clean my room before my mom has to yell at me; listen more so my mom doesn’t have to yell at me; work harder at school; stop fighting with my brother; help out more around the house; play more; and make more art projects.
My four-year-old son resolves to: Help my dad more outside doing guy stuff like digging; watch more T.V.; hit my sister less; eat more French fries; and wrestle more.
So this year, when your pork and kraut has officially digested, sit back and write your own list of resolutions. Remember to be realistic, set obtainable goals, and try to break those bad habits, whatever your particular bad habits might be.
It might be best if you actually write them all down—perhaps on the back page of that shiny new calendar you got for Christmas.