Be It Resolved

I haven't thought about New Year's resolutions for quite a few years, actually. But this year, I felt the need to sit down and put some real consideration into them. So many things are new at the beginning of this year, so much change. I need me some focus and I've made a list, finally.

Naturally, one is my intent to write more, and more often. One involves hoping to publish something I've written. A whole bunch of them have to do with my son and with mothering. And of course, losing weight/getting fit/toned so I can return to pre-prego condition (still working on this). A few women told me it's nearly impossible to lose weight while breastfeeding. No harm working on it, though, with a healthy approach!

A few in particular have to do with reorganizing my life in prep for The Big Move come spring. Forgive the phrasing, but basically I need to get all Buddhist on my ass. Try to create a zen existence in place of this chaos, more in keeping with my son's monk-like temperament. And I'll take a zen approach - not one room at a time, but one box at a time. One bag at a time. One little drawer at a time. Small steps to clear my life of the clutter and cobwebs this old farmhouse has accumulated.  In the spring, I will hold a garage sale. What I don't sell will be donated or dumped. A slow catharsis. The shedding of many years (along with the prego weight).

In the past few years, I've heard girlfriends talk about their "one word" of the year. Yesterday, I discovered the woman whose idea this is: Ali Edwards. (Thanks, Sara!) I love the concept of choosing one word to focus upon as a throughline for your entire year; a thread binding the many patches of your life into one garment with which to cloak yourself.

This year, I choose the word move.

I want to get moving. I want to keep moving forward. To make my move. To be moved. To move others.

Mobility will be an important theme this year for Sonshine and myself.

Not only are we anticipating moving from this farmhouse back to a semi-urban existence and building a new home together, but he will begin actual movement. Crawling, standing, walking: these will all be actions new to him; to his tiny mind, to his little limbs. His discovery of his wee body's capacities and the ability to stretch himself past limitations, past what he could formerly only regard as boundaries, will be incredibly freeing for him. (For me, not so much. HA!) I do, though, look forward to his exploration of movement within himself, of himself, for himself and by himself. He's becoming a little heavy to transport nowadays. I have biceps on my biceps!

So, move. That's my word for the year.

What's yours?

Wonder if I can choose one word for this new decade? Think I'll stick to small steps, though. And revel in witnessing my little boy make his first ones soon down this road we're traveling.

Some time in the 500s B.C., a Chinese philosopher named Lao Tzu wrote, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

Another cool guy wrote,
"Everything is moving so fast. I am unlimited..."

Small steps can take you so far, I've learned already. And what a journey lies ahead!

Happy 2010, everyone!

Music: Everything is Moving So Fast, Great Lake Swimmers