Happy New Year, Chaos Crew. It’s 2013– and not soon enough. I ended the year in fitting fashion with a nasty cold and general malaise. Is 2012 over? Apparently so, because yesterday I woke up at dawn to watch the Rose Parade and start the new year with a fresh attitude and hot chocolate. Woo-hoo!
For the last few years, I avoided resolutions and simply chosen some words to live by for the year.
Some years, I was more successful than others in carrying through. Honestly, last year’s Do The Work worked until May, then ‘the work’ took a back seat to a variety of family health issues. And sometimes that happens. I stopped beating myself up in about September and rode out the rest of 2012 re-arranging my priorities.
In 2013, I hope to embrace the time-honored concept that Change is Good. With my mother’s death and my father’s health, my life has already changed quite a bit. My older son will be graduating from high school and (hopefully) heading off to college in the fall. My younger son will become a de facto only child and that means a new dynamic in the house. And today, on my 20th wedding anniversary (!!!!) it seems like moving forward in my marriage is more appealing than standing still. Professionally, i feel like I need a new plan. All I’m saying is things have changed, will change and probably should change. And change is good, right?
So, here’s to embracing my change in 2013. There will still be chaos, I’m sure, but I hope with a positive attitude, a lot of dog walks and yoga and appreciating all the I have, I hope to manage that chaos with courage and a sense of humor.
Embracing my Chaos, Lian
Related posts:
I resolve: Resolutions for 2012
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all great responses, but let’s take a moment to congratulate Susan who is moving into the Southern Living Dream Home! Holy Cow!!
I already feel a little bit different his year, accepting and not fighting the current. Lian
It seems like such a good motto and it is best to see change as a positive. Without sounding too creepy, I feel like we have some parallel experiences. My mom passed a few years ago, I have one son in college and one son in high school. My father is currently battling cancer, and some days I wonder how did I get to this stage so quickly? I swear my kids were just toddlers a few years back. After living so much in rush around mode with young kids and work, the events of the last few years have forced me into a period of reflection. Is it possibly what they mean by mid-life crisis? The old things (worries)seem somewhat silly, and what I want from life and family has changed tremendously. I am trying to use my mom’s passing as a gift for change in myself. It wasn’t how I would have liked it go, but I changed none the less. I still miss my mom, and my son at college!! Happy New Year, there is only moving forward in life!
Love your theme. Actually I love all your themes but my favorite is still Let Er Rip.
Change is always good because it means you aren’t standing still.
My theme for 2013 is The Three L’s. Love more, live more, laugh more.
Bill
Yes, change is good! It is especially good when you don’t fight inevitable change and also have a chance to pause and reflect on the change, even for a short time. When too many changes happen at once, it’s easy to feel swept up in the tornado of events and we long to feel our feet on solid ground again, even if the terrain has changed.
Everything you mentioned, attitude/walks/yoga/gratitude/humor will certainly maintain that solid ground – good luck in the new year!
Can I steal the motto? More like borrow…. Sharing it with you, will do wonders for my growing business, becoming a better mom, etc.
Blessings for the year of Change is Good!~
I am way ahead of you with this year’s theme! In two weeks my husband and I will move into our ‘forever’ home – about 10 years earlier than planned. We very spontaneously purchased the 2012 Southern Living Idea House in Senoia, Georgia. The house has been open for tours since the beginning of June and just closed on December 23rd. Since June, 30,000 people have toured the house. The house is currently being emptied of the items that Southern Living brought in and the builder is reconditioning the floors and re-touching the paint where necessary. You wouldn’t believe how much wear and tear 30,000 people can do! In the mean time, my husband and I are headed out on the 4 day Rock Legends II cruise that was planned earlier last year, long before we ever considered that we’d be moving in January of 2013! When we get back, we’ll move our possessions, new and old, into the house and pray that all of the people who saw the house when it was decorated professionally by Southern Living, will think that what we’ve done to it has not completely ruined it. I’m hoping they too will think that change is good!
Lian – Great post! At our age, with aging parents and kids in transition, the only thing constant is change, so we might as well embrace it. Seems like that is easier than trying to bend things to our will or wishing they were otherwise. Here’s to a great year!
¡Feliz aniversario! Feliz Ano Nuevo!
Good health (no more root canals), laughter, joy, blessings
to all of your family!
As usual….a beautiful parade, and picture perfect postcard of Pasadena.
The soldier walking off the float to surprise his wife & little son – best
moment of the parade for me!
I like your motto for this year. Self initiated change is usually very good….that’s for sure!
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