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Sunday, December 28, 2014

Kate Hewitt: Christmas Blues and New Year’s Resolutions


A few days ago my family and I were all sitting round the dining room table, toasting the holiday and reveling in good cheer. Fast forward to December 27th or 28th and the scene is a little different. Everyone is over-sugared, overtired, and grumpy because Christmas is over. Toys that were exulted over on Christmas Day are now kicked into the corner, forgotten.  Children bicker over who gets to use the last AA batteries in the house, or who gets to play the Wii first, or who hit whom. The dog hasn’t been walked, the toddler is teething, and I’m already looking at the calendar, wondering how long it is until they’re all back at school.

Does this sound familiar?

If it doesn’t, then I clearly need some tips from you! The week after Christmas, in our house, has traditionally been one of the hardest weeks of the year. The expectation and enjoyment has been replaced by dissatisfaction and disappointment. It doesn’t matter what the presents are, or how much family time we have, or even what we do. Dragging all the kids out on a walk sometimes has a restorative effect… for a little while. And then it’s back to the blues.

Which leads me to my New Year’s resolutions. I’m not going to resolve (usually fruitlessly) to lose weight, exercise, eat better, or anything like that. No, my New Year’s resolution is to enjoy life more. And by that I don’t mean to pursue things only for pleasure, or live for leisure, or something along those lines. No, what I mean is I want to live in the moment more—and enjoy it, for what it is. I want to enjoy peeling carrots for dinner while my six-year-old acts out Frozen around me. I want to enjoy cuddling my only-wants-mummy toddler. I want to enjoy life as a full-time writer and mother of five children whose husband works seventy hours a week. Does that sound like a difficult task? Maybe, but I do believe attitude is important. My attitude this week hasn’t been that great. Instead of being in the moment, I’m slogging through it. And I want to change that. This is the life God has given me, and I’m very grateful for it. I’m so very thankful for healthy children and a loving spouse and a career I love, writing books that people love.

What about you? What is your New Year’s resolution? Do you have any tips for living life in the moment?


2 comments:

dstoutholcomb said...

Happy New Year! I do not make resolutions!
Denise

Janine said...

I don't make any resolutions. I never could stick with them and only ended up depressed when I failed.