Ring out, ring in

New year resolutions (again)

Have you made your New Year Resolutions? Or are you like me, having broken so many resolutions in the past, hesitate to make any more? But, I say, better resolutions than none, even if you do end up breaking them. Like they say, if you aim at the stars, you may land up on the treetops. No goal, get nowhere. Have goal, reach somewhere.

So, let me confess my resolutions for the coming New Year. Number one, to clean up cobwebs from our house ceiling and walls. What with a lot of busy-ness the last many months, and a good doze of laziness, the house has become a veritable pigsty, looking like a witches’ den. (Though I haven’t seen one, I guess this is how a witches’ den looks) Cobwebs hanging all over, spiders having a gala time.

Actually, the blame for my tolerance of spiders goes back to my son when he was in his teens. He used to call me cruel when I went about cleaning cobwebs and killing spiders. “The poor spiders just stay home quietly. You destroy their houses and then beat them to death, what a cruel person you are!” he would say.

But I’ve wised up now. I’m not going to listen to my boy’s advocacy of spiders’ cause any more. The creatures are messing up my home, invading my space and destroying my peace of mind. They’re not worth showing mercy. They’ll have to go.

Along with that I’ll tackle figurative spiders in my mental house. There are a lot of them. They enter my mind, crawl down to my heart and occupy space that doesn’t belong to them. The little demons that look pretty harmless, but keep weaving cobwebs, messing up the place and becoming real nuisance. The resentment over little hurts someone gave me, the insults, snide remarks and slights, real or imagined, that I kept collecting. They reside in the corner of my thoughts. They dirty up my mind and embitter my life. Their main work is to make me suffer and keep me away from enjoying myself and doing good. Of what use are they? For what purpose have I been keeping and cherishing them? They’re not worth it. I’m going to throw them all away now. Out! Best to forget them completely.

Resolution number two: exercise and lose weight. Over the last year I’ve gained a lot of flab that’s slowed down my body movements. Several of my clothes have become tight so I can’t wear some of my favourite ones. I really need to shed. This, of course, is easier said than done. It involves getting up a bit earlier when your eyes long to close for a while longer. It means holding yourself back from biting that extra titbit. Self control. No easy task.

Along with the body weight are other weights to shed. The extra baggage. For instance, my wardrobe is overflowing with clothes I don’t really need, but have been unwilling to part with. Some of them are costly, some real pretty, but I don’t need them. They’re just clogging up space and weighing me down. There are some who need but can’t afford them. I must learn to give, to share. They better go. Give them away. Perhaps they’ll make someone happy.
And so, I’m looking forward to a clean, light, bright new year.
How about you?
Happy New Year!
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