I’m one of those people who love to celebrate New Year’s Eve. This year, house-sitting my parent’s small farm, we decided to invite two other families with young kids around to bring in the New Year with us.
After enjoying a barbeque dinner and games of backyard cricket and footy, we tucked the kids into bed and sat around chatting, enjoying a glass of wine and waiting to see the fireworks when the clock struck midnight.
When one of the other women suggested we take turns to say our highlight for 2013, my husband Nathan and I glanced at each other. I don’t think either of us would say that 2013 was a great year for our family. With business troubles and my struggles with anxiety and depression, this year has been a tough one for both of us.
Yet, sitting there, listening to others talk about their highlights (new babies, houses sold and bought etc.) I recalled something C.S Lewis once said: ‘Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.’
This quote stuck in my mind because it reminded me of our four-year-old daughter, who loves the monkey bars but is too scared to let go with one hand to reach for the next bar. Instead, she hangs there until, eventually, she drops.
With this in mind, my New Years resolution for 2014 is to let go of the past and start moving forward again.
Having a whole new year ahead of me feels like opening a brand new journal… crisp, new pages ready to be written upon. And so, instead of dwelling on the past (see my post Unforgiveness: Don’t let it corrode you) I am going to look forward to the many wonderful things awaiting me this year.
Sure, our life is bound to have ups and downs and be far from perfect. But perfect would be boring right?
Have you made a New Year’s resolution? I would love to hear it!
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