2015 Is Upon Us

2014 is closing down today.  It’s time for a little reflection.  What did you do this year to expand your horizons?  What did you do this year to strengthen the most important bonds you have, family bonds?

I hope you spent time loving, laughing and giving to others.  I hope you tried something you’ve never tried before.  I hope you allowed yourself to grow in 2014. 

Did you take time to truly experience days, or did you just go to work, fix dinner, help with homework, go to bed, spend weekends cleaning or maintaining the yard?  If you did those things, and did them right, by including others and teaching others how to do them, good for you.  Did you share your experiences with others?  Take time to celebrate family?  Did you build memories for yourself and those around you with positive words and actions?  Good for you.

Now that 2015 is starting, take a hard look at how you spent 2014 and decide how you want to spend that non-renewable resource this year, time.  Instead of flopping on the couch and watching television, read a book.  Better yet, read to someone else.  Instead of hitting the fast food place, cook your own meal, in your own home, and eat it at the table sharing your day with those you love.  Let the little ones help, tearing lettuce for a salad, setting the table, stirring the gravy.  You will be amazed at what you learn about your family by doing simple things together.

If you make one resolution for 2015, make it to build memories for yourself and for those around you.  Simple memories of spending time together doing simple things and maybe a couple of big memories trying new things.

On December 31, 2015, wouldn’t it be nice to look back at the year and realize that you showed the stars to your kids on summer evenings?  How wonderful would it be that you taught them new life skills that will make them strong, capable, responsible adults? 

Capture the little memories, pay attention to them.  Make every day, every hour and every minute of 2015 count.  Explore, experience, grow.  Whether you do that in little ways, or you plan a grand experience, maybe go somewhere you’ve never been before, you will be glad you did.

It doesn’t matter if you finally take that trip to Europe, Alaska, or whatever your dream trip might be, or you visit a museum, planetarium or a nearby stream.  Grab 2015 and squeeze everything out of it that you can.  You only get to use all 525,600 minutes of 2015 once.