Possibilities

I guess I should be writing about New Year’s resolutions this time of year. Lord knows, I have an abundance of things that need fixing. There are always plenty of standard resolutions to pick from such as losing ten pounds, eating right and exercising more. Yawn. Probably not going to happen and I am loathe to let the TV commercials sweet talk me into cans of SlimFast and discount gym memberships. One 8 oz. can of anything is not going to count as a meal in my book and the whole gym thing is going to involve stretchy clothes without spots on them. That being said, I did come up with a few resolution possibilities.

First, be more spontaneous. Instead of wearing my usual black pants every Monday morning (the ones with the questionable zipper), I could wear my gray pants. I’ll have to mark it on the calendar because I use the color of my pants to help me remember what day it is. I could also start in the potato chip aisle instead of the produce aisle when I go to the grocery story. Not real sure if I’d make it to the bananas after perusing the salt lick displays, but I’m pretty confident that Cheetohs are good for me, too. Or maybe I could take a ride on a motorcycle. (I threw that one in for you, sis. Not gonna happen.)

Secondly, eat more fiber. I don’t think this will be too difficult. I happen to like Bran flakes and what could be more fibrous than cereal enriched with intestinal stimulation? Makes me want to eat a handful right now. I’m going to pass on the flax seed, though. My last encounter with the little wonder cure-all did not end pleasantly. I’m always suspicious of any product that includes the warning to “start slowly.” Yucky alert. I’ll stick with adding a few raisins to my Bran flakes.

                                                                                                              

Finally, don’t sweat the small stuff. I adopt this resolution every year, but always get bogged down with the mental gymnastics of determining just what exactly qualifies as small stuff. Is my potholder starting on fire considered small? How about having my computer desktop folders disappear overnight and hearing the techie guy ask, “Did you back your stuff up?” And then there is my personal favorite of navigating streets encrusted with ice during an early morning work commute. Small stuff in comparison to a nuclear reactor malfunctioning, perhaps, but demanding my immediate attention, nonetheless.

The beauty of aging is that I will forget all my resolution possibilities by tomorrow. Each new day will present itself with a litany of blessings and demands. If I remember to add Bran flakes to my shopping list, I will have them for breakfast. If my black pants are clean, I will wear them first. And if my potholder starts on fire, I will whack at it with a towel and put out the flames. Best of all, I will relish the possibility of being in the moment and in God’s care.

Happy New Year to you!