What if you are entering 2015 with no resolutions but survival? Or maintaining the status quo? What if there is no big word to live into? Or the word is something you don’t want to share? Like sobriety? Or grief?
Just a shout out that if name it and claim it is not your game this year (or any year), it’s okay. On New Year’s Day I saw a tweet by Anne Lamott that said, “Another word for New Year’s Day is “Thursday.” It is okay to breathe.”
I’m impressed by the 5-year plan, 3 goals by end of the week, New Year’s resolution kind. I would love to have the vision and the gumption to say what I want and go for it. But I’m tired. And right now pretty satisfied. So I’m happy today is Tuesday and my children are healthy and my husband is faithful. I like the status quo these days, so I’m letting 2015 quietly sneak in.
And if the months ahead look nothing but bleak. The work is not as regular as it should be, the marriage feels like it’s about to fall apart or the diagnosis is still there every morning when you wake up. And you feel like the treading water has brought you close to drowning and you just need to focus on the treading to survive, do it. I promise you don’t need to declare 2015 the best year ever. I pray that it is for all of us of course. And I know it won’t be for many. Because I know how life works.
So if you are a one word person, as many of my wordsmith friends are, great. Take it. Embrace it. Kill it this year. But if you need a reminder that survival is acceptable and honorable and often the most hard work, consider yourself reminded.
I’ve been practicing breath prayer this last month. Breathe in. Lord Jesus. Breathe out. Have mercy on me. I’ve even practiced it with my kids when they’ve needed some soothing. So let’s take Anne’s advice and breathe. Whatever today holds.
Breathe in. Lord Jesus. Breathe out. Have mercy on me.