New Year's Resolution

Although I woke up last night coughing several times, after I was up for a while, I did feel a bit better today. So, I took sweet B to the park for about 30 minutes. I didn’t walk very fast…”strolled” would be a better description, because I didn’t want to get my lungs too cold. But B had the best time. I can always tell when he’s happy because he runs really fast to catch up, runs past me, and then runs back to me…he’s exuberant!

I think my walk with B is a good lesson. He isn’t worried about anything…he’s just having a blast. He’s not saying “Well, fine, you took me to the park today, but you didn’t the last 4 days, so I’m going to pout a bit before I allow myself to enjoy what we’re doing right now.” He’s not saying, “We usually go for a much longer walk, so I’m disappointed with today’s walk.” He doesn’t compare today with yesterday. He doesn’t worry about the past day, or week, or month. He’s just in the NOW.

Why can’t I be more like my dog…feeling lucky and happy to be alive and enjoying my life for what it is?

Right now, I’m looking at my Christmas tree and thinking how pretty it is. Maybe I don’t really hate Christmas so much as I hate what Christmas has become in my family, but much of the stress is self-imposed. It’s my own fault if I don’t enjoy all the good things that should be part of the holiday season.

My New Year’s Resolution for 2009 will be to live every day to its fullest, enjoy my blessings, and love my family and friends to the best of my ability.