Monday, December 23, 2013

So This is Christmas...and What Have you Done?

Merry Christmas week to everyone!

If you're anything like me, you've been going full speed since October when the summer ended and pumpkins started popping up. And then as October came to an end, and Thanksgiving preparations began, life got even more hectic trying to coordinate family and meals and together time. And then life went full throttle the minute Santa wrapped up the Macy's Day Parade and the Christmas season officially started. Parties, Christmas cards, end of the year prep at work, shopping, organizing...and now here we are! It's Christmas, and I'm asking myself...what have I done?

Have I done all the practical things? Have I bought all the gifts I need to? Is the house acceptably clean for the family that will be visiting? Did I leave out anyone when I sent Christmas cards? Did I run enough miles this week? And then there are the bigger, harder questions to answer.

Did I do my best this year? Was I as kind as I could be? Did I give enough? I don't believe all charity is monetary--did I offer my talents and time enough? Was I a good enough friend? Did I make the world a better place?

I would like to think I was, at least, headed in the right direction. I always tend to look at the end of the year in terms of things I didn't get done: the scrapbooks still aren't made. There is little to no organization in my kitchen drawers. I still am not fluent in Italian (I swear, one of these years I'm going to do that). But this year, I'm going to look at it in terms of things I have done.

I ran a half marathon. And 4 10ks. And so many 5ks I lost count. And next year, it's gonna be even more. Even more than that, I made a choice to live a healthy lifestyle.

I survived the second half of two-years-old and the first half of three-years-old with a strong willed, smarter-than-me little boy. Sometimes, I pass out at night before he does.

I wrote. A lot. Some years, this hasn't been the case, so I was pleased to "find my pen", as it were.

I made new friends--running and blogging friends are awesome, you guys--and I found some old ones. When it comes to friendship, I appreciate quality over quantity. My little handful of friends might be spread all over, but they are always there for me.

I stood up for myself.  I found myself in a couple of situations this year where people took advantage of me--and I was proud that I had the backbone to stop it from happening.

So when I look at it like that, I had a pretty good year. Always room for improvement, of course, but we'll save that for the New Years resolutions!

I won't be posting again until Thursday, so until then I leave you with my favorite quote from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol: “I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy. I am as giddy as a drunken man. A merry Christmas to everybody! A happy New Year to all the world! Hallo here! Whoop! Hallo!” 

Talk to me: what things are you pleased to have done this year?

6 comments:

  1. Beautiful post! I'm adding "surviving the entire year of two-years old" to my list, I've got a crazy, wild, smart preschooler too. I'm pleased I met my goal of running in an official race every month this year and running three half marathons. I hadn't run since the 90's (yes I'm old!), so getting back into it was a big deal to me. I feel like an athlete again (even if I don't look like one yet!). Thanks for the reminder to reflect!

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    1. Welcome back to running! And congrats on surviving the 2's. They're an adventure!

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  2. I am glad to have survived another year living away from my family. It's been rough, but it's getting more manageable.

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  3. I ran my first half marathon, met a ton of new people, traveled to Costa Rica for work, and just enjoyed myself and built a life for myself in FL. Can't wait to see what 2014 bring! Merry Christmas to you!

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    1. Merry Christmas to you too! It sounds like you had a great 2013!

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