I Resolve, More or Less…

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I resolve to read more.

I resolve to watch TV less.

I resolve to trust my intuition more.

I resolve to be upset by other’s choices less.

I resolve to smile at strangers more.

I resolve to be in a rush less.

I resolve to run more.

I resolve to let my ego get in the way less.

I resolve to eat protein and vegetables more.

I resolve to eat sugar less.

I resolve to sleep more.

I resolve to spend wasteful time on the internet less.

I resolve to listen more.

I resolve to interrupt less.

I resolve to worry about the weight on the barbell more.

I resolve to worry about the weight on the scale less.

I resolve to drink water more.

I resolve to drink coffee less.

I resolve to talk to people on the phone more.

I resolve to talk to people via text and email less.

I resolve to ask for help more.

I resolve to do things ‘my way’ less.

I resolve to get a babysitter more.

I resolve to postpone date-night less.

I resolve to meal-plan more.

I resolve to go to the grocery store less.

I resolve to floss my teeth more.

I resolve to think about the next day’s to-do list less.

I resolve to take pictures more.

I resolve to not print pictures less.

I resolve to nurture friendships more.

I resolve to worry about what others think less.

I resolve to do it today more.

I resolve to save it for tomorrow less.

Happy New Year! 2013

Happy New Year!

I am a Transplant. And it’s Christmastime.

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I am a transplant.  A geographical transplant, that is.  I was born and raised in Alberta, and moved my life across the country 10 years ago (10 years already?  Really?!) for post-graduate studies to become a Doctor of Chiropractic- and I ended up staying.

I have always identified myself as an Albertan, and likely always will; but it’s only been in the last few years that I’ve really started to feel at home in Burlington.  I mean really ‘at home‘.  The this-is-where-my-life-is-and-I-feel-content kind of home.  Having my children here did that.  Buying a house here did that.  Growing roots here did that.  And while Ontario is home, there are still times when my homesickness gets triggered by a rough day, a family celebration in Alberta, or my birthday. Christmas gets me too.  When I close my eyes…

…I can see the familiar white lights on my parent’s Christmas tree.

…I can taste the love in the caramel popcorn that my mom makes.

…I can smell the warmth of the fire crackling in their wood-burning fireplace.

…I can hear the nostalgic sounds of my cousins laughing.

…I can feel the comforting crunch of Alberta snow beneath my boots.

Now with two young children of my own, I’m trying to nurture their sense of home and cozy familiarity with our own family traditions.  And in the process, I’m creating a a new sense of home and cozy familiarity for myself.  My homesickness eases when I see the excitement in their eyes and the magic in their smiles.  My nostalgia lessens when I see the lights on our tree and the fire in our fireplace.  And the love of my husband and my in-laws goes a long way too. I hug them more during the holidays.

So this Christmas, if you have a transplant in your life, be sure to remember that the holidays may bring feelings of loneliness mixed in with feelings of happiness.  Be sure to ask them how they’re doing.  Be sure to ask them what their Christmases ‘back home’ were like.  And be sure to listen to their answers. It makes them feel more ‘at home’.

christmas quote

Wear the Dress Socks

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dress socksLast week my three-year-old proudly showed me the new socks he’d worn to bed the night before.  Grey and red pirate socks, they are one pair of a two-pack we bought the previous day at the mall.  The other new pair is a grey and red plaid Christmas pattern, and has more of a ‘dressy’ look to it.

“Daddy wouldn’t let me wear the Christmas socks to bed, he said they were too dressy,” my son told me.  Now this isn’t meant to call out my husband and his parenting choices, as he is an incredible father and amazes me daily with his patience and kindness; but rather, this conversation made me pause and take a look at my own arbitrary rules and standards.  I have heard myself say things like “put that shirt back in your closet, it’s for special occasions” or “don’t use the sparkly stickers, we’ll save those”.  Save them for what?  For a day other than today?  Why not bring simple pleasures into our day to day life?  And what better way to bring bits of effortless joy and innocent happiness than using nice shirts, sparkly stickers, and dress socks.

So use your china for pizza night.  Use your good conditioner daily.  Take the cushion covers off your sofa and the protective liners off your car’s floor mats.  Eat the richest cheesecake.  Grind the best coffee beans.  Open the good beer.

Don’t make home improvements to your house so you can sell it, but make home improvements so you can enjoy it.  Use your finest napkins.  Wear your softest sweater.  Pull out your best duvet.  Throw on your new running shoes.  Write on your fancy stationary with your special pen.

And that bottle of red wine that you’ve been saving for a special occasion?  Open it tonight and have a glass.  Celebrate a Tuesday.  Oh, and those new wineglasses in the back of your cupboard?  Use them too.

And wear the dress socks.