Ringing in the New Year with Black-Eyed Peas

With the new year underway, I have already begin to notice many new efforts in my way of thinking and living, and I must admit, I am very proud of myself.   I have explored some re-solutions to old problems, and I am on my way to working them out.  When I was young, my mom had a tradition of starting every new year by cooking a meal that included black-eye peas.  She would also distribute several of them to each of her nine children for storing in our pockets or wallets for good luck for the upcoming year.  Then we’d all sit together and take turns sharing our new year’s resolutions.  Most of them ended up being something like, “I’m gonna get better grades, or I’m gonna keep my room cleaner,” or the infamous, “I’m gonna listen to my mother and follow her directions.”  As I sit now, I laugh at how that first new year’s sleep must have captured our resolutions and burned them at the stake, because as soon as we woke up,  we were back to our old ways.  By noon of New Year’s day mom was already yelling at us because she had told us at least 5 times by then to wash the morning dishes. 
Fast forward at least 20 years, and here I am celebrating the new year with my own family, including two boys ages 4and 12.  We watched the ball drop, toasted, danced, made resolutions, and returned to The Shining, which was on tv that night (redrum, redrum, redrum…lol).   Both of my kids decided that their resolution was to save more money.  “Hmmm,” I thought to myself, “that might work for the 4 year old, but money burns holes through the pocket of Mr. Twelve Year Old.” But what do I know….if that’s what they want to do, who am I to comment on it. At least it sounded a little more sincere than, “This year I will listen to my mother more.”

My resolution was simply to make and use more time for myself. Whether that meant enjoying a massage or manicure, devoting more time to my personal business projects, or simply lounging on the sofa for two hours straight and enjoying an entire movie without getting up to (excuse my French) wipe someone’s butt, find someone’s missing Nike basketball sock, or heat up someone’s snack.  And this doesn’t mean that I don’t like doing any of those things, I do (except –excuse my French again-the butt wiping).   But I have to learn to reconcile those likes with the fact that I also like to be pampered,  to rest, and every once in a while, to do stuff for myself, by myself.

It’s only day 5 of the new year, and I have already watched a full movie, worked on my personal business project, and started my healthy eating habits again. 
I will be going to the grocery tomorrow to get those black-eye peas. Not because I think they are going to magically help us keep our resolutions, but because seeing and feeling them will remind us that we have made resolutions. No ipads, no apps, no cells, just beans to remind me.
And it’s always good to know……..that kind of reminder comes free-no tips accepted!