by Anita DiGregory

New (School) Year’s Resolutions

As we prepare to say goodbye to the long, carefree days of summer, you, too, may be channeling the wise Obi-Wan Kenobi and feeling, “…a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of (students’) voices suddenly cried out in terror (at the thought of beginning a new school year).” And, although my children would be among those crying out, as a mom, I must admit I am not too keen on trading in those lazy, hazy, crazy days of the summer for the over-scheduled, hectic pace of another school year.

Each year at this time, I find myself repeating the same internal mantra, “This year I’ll do it better.  This year I’ll be more organized.  This year I won’t overcommit.”

But as we slide into fall and the hint of winter is in the air, inevitably, I am knee-deep in school work, homework, work-work, practices, games, and a myriad of other activities that fall under mom duties. It is at this time, with all the proverbial balls up in the air, that I have to remind myself to breathe.

With this in mind, I offer myself, and all of the other parents out there who need to remind themselves to exhale, a list of new (school) year’s resolutions. In honor of this new school year, each resolution is backed up by treasured characters from favorite children’s books. I wish all of you a blessed and wonderful new school year, filled with fun adventures, love, and beautiful memories. And may the Force be with you!

 

Have faith in yourself…you’ve got this.

There is no arguing that this mom-thing is super hard sometimes. Oprah Winfrey said of motherhood, “I always say moms have the toughest job in the world if you’re doing it right.” President Obama stated, “There’s no tougher job than being a mom.” Renowned author C.S. Lewis referenced a housewife’s work as “surely, in reality, the most important work in the world.” Although this all sounds very reassuring, the weight of the responsibilities of raising little human beings can be quite daunting, if not crushing, at times.  In one of my favorite movies, Mom’s Night Out, Trace Adkins’ character delivers a moving speech to a mom who worries she isn’t enough. “It’s beautiful to watch one of God’s creations just doing what it was made to do. Ya’ll (moms) spend so much time beating yourselves up. I doubt the good Lord made a mistake giving your kiddos the mom He did.”

“Puff, puff, chug, chug, went the Little Blue Engine. ‘I think I can—I think I can—I think I can—I think I can—I think I can…I think I can.’ Up, up, up. Faster and faster and faster and faster the little engine climbed, until at last they reached the top of the mountain.” (The Little Engine That Could, Watty Piper).

 

Take the time to smell the roses. 

When faced with looming deadlines, never-ending to-do lists and bombarded with media and images of hate, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. It is important to take time for yourself to refuel and re-energize. Take time to do things that help restore you: pray, exercise, bake, write, etc.

“So they had to take Ferdinand home. And for all I know he is sitting there still, under his favorite cork tree, smelling the flowers just quietly.  He is very happy.” (The Story of Ferdinand, Munro Leaf).

 

Take time to enjoy just being together.

To date, no one has successfully found a rewind or pause button for life. Ever since I was a newbie mom, family members, friends, and strangers alike would caution me to treasure every moment with my little ones, because time flies by in the blink of an eye. And they were right.  It is important to take time from our busy lives just to be together.

“But what I like doing best is Nothing,” said Christopher Robin.

‘How do you do Nothing?’ asked Pooh, after he has wondered for a long time.

‘Well, it’s when people call out at you just as you’re going off to do it, What are you going to do, Christopher Robin, and you say, Oh, nothing, and then you go and do it.’” (The House At Pooh Corner, A.A. Milne).

 

Take care of yourself; get enough sleep; and remember, tomorrow is a new day.

In spite of all your hard work and dedication, some days are just really bad days. Our efforts, love, and determination make us who we are; we are not the sum of our successes and failures. After all, we often learn more from our failures than we ever could from our successes.  Tomorrow is another day full of new opportunities and possibilities.

“It has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. My mom says some days are like that.” (Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Judith Viorst).

 

Model empathy, compassion, forgiveness, and kindness. 

One resounding fact about motherhood is that little eyes are always watching. Our children learn behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs from watching us. In today’s world, it is even more important to extend these works of mercy and model these behaviors to our children.

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” (Aesop’s Fables, Aesop).

 

Love with all your heart every day.

Smile. Tell the people you love that you love them. At the end of the day, even if it was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, if children know they are loved, everything else seems surmountable.

“Big Nutbrown Hare settled Little Nutbrown Hare into his bed of leaves. He leaned over and kissed him good night. Then he lay down close by and whispered with a smile, ‘I love you right up to the moon – and back.’” (Guess How Much I Love You, Sam McBratney).

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