Resolutions!

Happy New Year! This is the time of year when many people decide on what resolutions they want to make-and then a week later what resolutions they want to keep ;-) . I have made resolutions in the past, I've been successful with some of them, but definitely NOT the whole lot. While I didn't make an official resolution this year, my dearest husband and I kind of came to a consensus about some things we can do to better our lives. We came up with a creed (or mission statement).

It's basically this: We will always strive to assure that our relationship and our family is positive and successful.

Sounds really simple, right? I mean, isn't that basically what you vow to do when you get married?? Well, when lives and schedules get hectic and we get stressed, I think that we sometimes forget about that basic principle. Love one another as we would love ourselves. Maybe we don't love ourselves enough to begin with (that explains a lot). I can't speak for every other married couple out there, but it is sometimes hard to always think about the "team" and we sometimes find ourselves turning into what my hubby so nicely calls "the Bickersons". I guess you would say the Bickersons are our evil twins who let things get in between them instead of drawing on each others strengths to stay closer together.

I don't really like the Bickersons much (I apologize to any real Bickersons out there-these guys ruined it for you).

So back to that mission statement-we have been doing fairly well since we came up with it this past weekend-things have been fairly quiet so it's been easy. Until last night. It's funny the little things that can just eat at a person.... I had to go to a church meeting right after supper last night. When I arrived home after the meeting (and picking up a movie for hubby and I to watch) it was half an hour after the kids' bedtimes. I knew there would be cleanup to do, but what I didn't expect was for the kids to still be up taking baths when I got home. I looked around at the messy house and thought about the kids that were not going to want to get up for school the next morning and I ALMOST made a snide comment to my husband. But then I thought about the fact that he has been having to leave earlier for work lately and the only time he has really gotten to see the kids is the short period from suppertime until bedtime... I asked him if they played and had fun, and surprise surprise, they had. I was able to turn my selfish (such a bad word) feelings of resentment into a more positive feeling of gratitude (I am so grateful that my husband is such a good Daddy-and wants to play with his kiddos.)




......(good Daddy and kids)......




Was I thrilled that we didn't get to start watching our movie until almost 10? No. Was I thrilled about the tired kids (and parents) this morning? Not really, but what good does it do to focus on something like that-we all survived and in the end had a great evening. So whatever it is you choose to change (if anything)-don't forget to love yourself and those close to you. They call it the golden rule for a reason.