A New Decade

2010, I can hardly believe it. I think if I were to look back at my entire life, this last decade is one that would define who I am. It was a little over 10 years ago that I left Tennessee to begin my new life. So much has happened in the last ten years I cannot even begin to list it all, but among those things the most important are easy. I became a wife, a mother, a student once again, and I learned who I really am. If someone had told me in 2000, that 10 years later I would be married, with 5 kids and had moved a total of 8 times and lived in 3 different states, I probably wouldn’t have believed it. But here it is and here I am and so far I like how it's turned out.

I am no different than most people and at the beginning of each year I usually make a list of New Year’s resolutions. I came across my unnaturally long list from this past year the other day and was not the least bit surprised that I have not accomplished any of them. This is when I ask myself if I am going to make another one this year.

What's funny is some of the resolutions on last year's list are things I have already mentioned in this short time of blogging. I did not finish mom and dad's quilt and I did not become more organized with things like appointments, the house, food and groceries and I didn't send one single birthday card out on time this year. Yes, these are actual resolutions that I have down on a piece of paper. I am also no more physically fit or financially fit than I was a year ago despite joining the gym and Weight Watchers and I didn't go on a single hike either. I think I gained more weight than I lost, and my patience with the kids is as thin as it was before.

I decided to just change one thing on my list from last year. The date. Instead of it saying New Year’s Resolutions-2009, I will change it to 2010. Do I consider myself a failure? No, in fact I think 2009 was a success. Instead of focusing on all the things I did not accomplish, I want to look at what I did accomplish. I had another baby, a wonderful baby boy. I returned to school. I made the steps necessary to work towards my weight-loss goal. I feel that all of these things greatly outweigh the things I did not accomplish last year.

I look forward to 2010 and all the beginning of this decade has to offer. I think I have grown a lot and have the tools I need to live a fuller, richer life. No one says resolutions have to be followed and they can't be broken. I look at it as a guideline, recognition of what one would like to work on. It might not be accomplished in that year but the realization of what you want is power. So with that I welcome you 2010!