Goodbye, January!
I must say that I will surely not be upset to see this past month out the door - perhaps with even a good quick, kick-in-the-pants goodbye. No offense to January itself - which some years can have a lot going for it - but this particular January was not in the least kind. For a month that is supposed to be all about fresh starts and new beginnings, for me it was all about personal loss and depression. And while I do realize that no particular month of the year can truly bear responsibility for how I feel, this current month is still just something that I will be more than happy to see on its way; sometimes we just need to blame the perceived culprit, although not always necessarily involved. I’m thinking now that perhaps February will provide the new boost of energy and renewal that was supposed to have already taken place? Perhaps one month late, resolutions and determination can wake me in the morning with a bit of a much-needed jolt, instead of the groan and sigh that I have been allowing to invade my day.
Leaving behind the January blues…
Don’t get me wrong, either - I fully realize that my current tribulations are not by any means the end of the world, and that things could be much worse, without doubt; I’m not so much wishing to complain, as I want to make things better. However, running away from one’s own feelings, or even hiding them and internalizing them, does absolutely nothing for overall health and well-being - all of which I wish to maintain. Admittedly, I have had a good case of the blues, and they have indeed lingered without truly going away. So maybe now I just resign January to the ‘terrible month’ bin and I move on to the next one? It may seem unlikely, or even silly, to expect that the turn of a calendar page - that the mere changing of a month - could be the cure-all that I wish, but the first day of any new month does always seem to present itself with some kind of a mysterious, new promise. Clearly, an entirely new month does offer up lots of new possibilities. So, just as last month did for so many, the start of this new month will hopefully be my time to say good riddance to unhealthy habits and thoughts, and to usher in a brand new plan that will begin to make things better.
There is certainly nothing wrong with trying. One just needs to take the first step. And however one initiates that first step is irrelevant, as long as it happens. Currently, we are still in the process of taking down the Christmas decorations here at Elm Cottage. Yes, that in itself is a project, to say the least. Our collection has grown so large, that the Christmas season truly takes over a good two months of the year now - from unpacking everything just after Thanksgiving, until sometime in January when everything comes down and is stored away again until next year. I mention this only to say that as much as I truly love Christmas, and all of the excitement that it brings, I am very much looking forward to having the house fully back in order and to have things be a bit more subdued and quiet, calm and clean. Yes, I am in the proper mood right about now for a bit of a relaxed space, for some air, rejuvenation. I am relishing the opportunity to breath in fully, to take a moment or two for myself, and then to just move on.
So what I am planning is to come up with some type of a motivational list (more to come about this in greater detail next time). Making lists is always a good way to form a plan. Jotting down ideas, thoughts, wishes - things that need to be done - any type of an itinerary to keep mind and body on track is a useful and productive thing. A very brief survey around the house and garden tells me that there is lots to be done. An old house always requires some type of work here and there to keep it in good shape. The garden, although fast asleep at the moment, will also be something that will soon require a good deal of my attention, with many chores needing to be done. My list will start with these things at hand, to keep my home in order - both house and garden. From those beginning steps - from that list - I will then just continue…
Until next time…
