Intentions and a Strong Resolve

We don't do New Year's Resolutions. Rob and I, more often than not, have a nice, long snuggled-under-the-covers-and-nose-to-nose conversation on New Years Day called the Game Of Questions. We talk about what we loved about the last year, what sucked, what we feel is working in our relationship, the situations we feel like we knocked being good to one another out of the park, when we fell short. We talk about personal successes, what we want to be more conscious of in the following year, what we're most excited about. A State of the Union kind of thing.

We always agree to be loving to each other, to be the best little bit of humanity we can be. We're decent people, we're intentional about our friendships, we value being involved in the community we've built, but I think being a good human being is a strangely different and more powerful notion.

So, that being said, I don't have resolutions or goals. I have intentions for living as my best Me. I'm going to foster stronger relationships with the people in my life. I'm going to get my arms and thighs stronger before the summertime. I'm going to simplify all the "stuff" in our home. I'm going to throw crap away. I'm going to have adventures. I'm going to travel and I'm not going to shoulder all of the burden of figuring out how to pay for it, because that always makes me stressed. I'm going to do less sitting at home and patting the dog on the head for quiet time. I'll do longer walks around the neighborhood with the dog instead and spend more time listening to the sounds of our weird little corner of Houston. I'm going to seek out more opportunities to eat crazy things, brush up on my Mandarin, host more big dinners for friends.

I'm going to butt into my sisters' lives more. I know I don't get all of the good, juicy, ridiculous stories. I'm going to press my brother to talk more to me about all the big decisions coming up for his first year of college in the fall. I'm going to get more fun stories out of my mom about her kids at school and their cute art projects and let her vent more, because I know she's got some real pills in her homeroom. I'm going to beg my dad to stick up for himself at work and take more of his vacation time. I'm grateful for getting a good dose of your work ethic, Dad, but take real dang vacations.

Welcome, 2013. I'm glad you're here!