January 1, 2012 started out kind of gray and gloomy in my neck of the woods. The southern beau and I were enjoying a little New Year’s breakfast when a dark sky opened up and poured rain for a couple of hours. We mucked around in the rain for a bit and then out of nowhere the sun appeared and the gray sky changed to blue.
A new year gets everyone thinking about new beginnings. So often we judge things by how they begin. It’s hard not to put pressure on ourselves and feel discouraged if circumstances don’t seem to be headed in the way we want them to. I’m trying to remember, as my great-grandmother said to me once “that we must hoe each row all the way to the end,” even though it’s my tendency to get stuck somewhere in the middle.
This year I’m going to quit trying so hard at things that don’t matter and focus more on enjoying the things that do. I going to be my true self, even as I’m still figuring out who that is. I’m going for more quality, less quantity in the hope of living more in the moment rather than longing for the moments to come.
A gorgeous morning doesn’t guarantee a perfect day. Just like a perfect New Year’s doesn’t guarantee a great year. We often forget that the the darkest and gloomiest of mornings can sometimes turn into the loveliest of afternoons.
I hope you’ll join me this year in believing there are amazing times ahead, encouraging each other through the rainy days and celebrating the blue skies together.
{images via flickr Poppy Thomas-Hill}
