Year's End Reflections

Well another year has passed. I am a year older, a little wiser, and looking back on this past year with more regret than I usually do. In fact, I rarely look back and linger over regrets. But this holiday has been bittersweet and has pushed me towards melancholic thoughts.

It was deliciously sweet to spend time with my sisters. I haven't seen them in a year and a half. A YEAR AND A HALF, that is a long time.  Reconnecting has been lovely. We all are aging and learning to give one another more space to be ourselves, make choices that work for our own lives, and appreciate the good in one another with a lot less judgement. It makes for really wonderful time together. Plus we didn't have lots of plans made, so we were able to just go with the flow and enjoy each day for the activities we have felt like doing as each day unfolded.

On the flip side it was very difficult to discover that a neighbor, who was also our boss, died over the holidays in his house next door. My parents and LK and I hemmed and hawed about the lack of activity in the house for several days, trying not to be nosy and over-protective neighbors before calling the police to ask someone to check on him. Unfortunately it was too late and the past several days have been filled with dealing with that situation.

So how do those lead me into regrets? Well, seeing someone die completely alone made me reflect on the relationships that I have not put enough work into this year. I have had all sorts of reasons, but really I wish that I had taken more time to focus on people and building connections with loved ones. I think that is a regret that is resolution-worthy.

So, my first resolution (in many many years) is to put more time and effort into people and less into stuff.

Seeing too many people die in my life (close or peripheral) has made me regret not seizing health with both hands. I have worked really hard to build a solid base of fitness. I have held onto a foundation of that by running into December this year. I am proud of that, but regret not carrying all that work over into food as well. I eat what I want... and that usually involves way too much sugar.

So my second resolution is to change my eating habits to enable my body to live a longer, happier, stronger life with those people that are part of resolution number one.

How about you? How do you want to make 2012 better than 2011?