It’s the start of a new year. I haven’t made any new resolutions as I have enough left over from the past. You know, the generic resolutions that never go out of date. Walk more. Eat better. Get more sleep. Practice gratitude. Do at least one good deed per day. Be more accepting, more generous. They are all do-able; it’s just a matter of making them priorities.
I’ve been trying to read as much as my eyes allow, but it doesn’t take long these days until the words begin to blur. Not being able to read for hours at a time is relatively new for me. Books have been my companion and friend since I was tiny. My dad read to us long after we could read for ourselves, which simply increased our joy in reading. I love putting words together and making them sing. I ache for those who have not discovered the joy of getting lost in a good story, discovering fascinating ideas in unexpected places, and a new spin on an old topic. I am never weary of finding new information that causes me to rethink accepted ideas
I never even considered that I might have sight issues in my old age. I figured I would be able to read and quilt until it was my time to move on. Perhaps I have a new adventure ahead of me, but I am hoping that I will never lose my sight and that the specialists I’m seeing will be able to help me. My part is following the doctor’s orders and focusing on acceptance and gratitude. Jesus reminded us that worry never solves any problem or situation, which is why I need to find out what is happening before I decide how to react. So far, I’ve been grateful for this reminder to appreciate being able to read, watch TV, experience the seasons unfold, and be with friends. We spend so much time longing for this or that or lamenting the past that we often overlook what we already have right at our fingertips. Every time I walk, there is something to see, something to hear. How dare I spend one second feeling sorry for myself when life has been so good to me?
“Today is the first day of the rest of my life.” as my friend used to say. “Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Then there are those lines from the Serenity Prayer: “One day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time.” When I can do that, life just flows.
Joyce, I look forward to your writings and savor them when they appear. Always there is a phrase or thought which I can apply to myself and situations which might be a concern to me. Today what struck me is your sentence recalling that Jesus told us that worry just doesn’t solve anything, and, as you so wisely put it, ” which is why I need to find out what is happening before I decide how to react.” Such wisdom in that small phrase. Wait, don’t react impulsively. Roll things over in your mind to consider how to react. I… Read more »