The countdown continues. (I have no idea why the photo is misty but it looks kinda nice so I’m okay with it). I gotta say, I don’t find my daily posts to be the slightest bit of a burden. I hate blogging — it always felt so artificial and self-serving. I loved being here. I could just be completely honest — I only held back a very few times, and that was mainly when other people were involved or I was just tired of myself.
But it’s kind of like ending a television show in its prime, or not doing a sequel to a book that said it all perfectly. Better to end while things are still strong and involved.
So, on our tree today, we need to put up one thing we discovered we can do without. Like a tv show or a food or a behavior.
I learned I can live without day-long infusions of Diet Coke and Tab. Never would have thought it. And I can do without fast food. Been slipping a little recently, but come January 1 I’m back on the wagon, and I’m avoiding fried foods there when I do succumb (and that’s usually because I’m rushing).
BTW, we need a bit of coal underneath the tree to make sure it burns properly. Failures, things we want to get rid of, any bits of shame or disappointment in ourselves. We can toss them there at random, toss ’em and let go of ’em. Worries, frustrations, annoyances — each make a nice lump of coal which will help with the final conflagration.
I’m tossing my involvement in my children’s lives. They’re both doing well, but it’s time for me to let go, not to try to influence them. They’re adults now (even if they need financial help), and unless it has an impact on me I need to let go and let them live their lives instead of interfering and getting emotionally worked up.
That probably equals two bigs lumps of coal there at the base of our magnificent tree.
So go ahead, toss your lumps of coal whenever you want, and list some bad habit, no matter how small, that you’ve gotten rid of. We need to light up this tree with our triumphs.
