New years are like new babies; they are young, innocent, and full of new energy. There is a newness that creeps upon us each year; hopes of a better “us”, never ending lists to accomplish, and a pure innocent belief that change “will” just happen. Sometimes before you can move forward you need to go backwards and reflect on where you’ve been.
Each year I find that I’m excited to put up the Christmas decorations, trim the tree, send out cards and bake cookies until my nail beds are full of Crisco. Now while I love my home decorated and smelling of sugar, butter and icing, I find that same excitement when taking it all down, packing it away, and cleaning the house until it smells like spring.
This year when taking down the ornaments I took a moment to reflect on a few and their history to our family. Handmade styrofoam balls with colorful pins with my oldest initials. My thumbprint from kindergarten drawn into a wise owl. Glued popsicles painted green, bedazzled and shaped into a tree made by my youngest. Even two that remind me of my mother and years past of them hanging on my parents trees.
The children are now mostly grown and not making any new ornaments but those memories are hanging there and are highly cherished. After all the years, decorations, baked goods, parties, church celebrations and family visits, reflection is still what the end and beginning of a year should be about. Yes I’m still making that mental list of new beginnings and resolutions but it was great to stop and take a moment to review the years with my family, hubby and children. The laughter, the struggles, the vacations, the schools and teachers, all the good times and hard roads we’ve shared.
If you have a moment I highly suggest a quick hop on the memory train then get a fresh start on those resolutions and maybe, JUST MAYBE, we’ll get’em done this year!
Happy 2016 & Cheers!
JB~
SpanishMossSeries 
Hi,
When my kids were little, we always decorated the house, especially my youngest and I. Now that they are college-age, we never even take them out of the attic. Do I miss it? Rarely.
Congratulations on being Danny Ray’s featured blogger. fI was his featured blogger too! I found you on his site.
Janice
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Thanks Janice! Didn’t see Danny Ray’s tag I’ll have to look it up!
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Thank you for a lovely write-up about reflections and new plannings. Yesterday I too took down all the Christmas decorations and for some reason I also stood still by what each meant for me, even though should I hang on to some, but did. Now packed away it’s a great feeling to forward to spring and new beginnings. Have a lovely year!
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