01/11/2025
Taking down the Christmas tree and putting away all the holiday decorations always makes me a little bit sad and anxious. The soft glow of the lights on the tree brightens our dark living room and makes it feel so cheery, and once they are unplugged and put back into storage, the house just feels kind of “blah”. As the nativity sets are carefully wrapped back up and tucked into their boxes, and the other Christmas knick-knacks are gently placed back into their storage totes, the magic of the season definitely leaves with them.
Like all things, even Christmas has to come to an end to make way for the next season of life. January waits for no one, and like it or not, Santa and snowmen have been replaced with diet plans, exercise routines, daily planners, and colder weather. The (slightly) slower pace of the end of the year has been replaced with the New Year rush- the rush to lose all that holiday weight, and the rush to catch up on all the things we failed to take care of in December. Bull sales and tax prep are in full swing, 4-H meetings are back on schedule, and we’ve returned to the grind of work and travel and sports.
It’s almost like the stripping of the tree and the dropping of the ball hit the reset button on life, and we once again hustle to make ends meet. Every year, I try to be more intentional with my time and slow down. Yet, just looking at our calendar makes my head spin, and I wonder how we are going to get everything done. It’s a constant tug-of-war to make sure that we all make our social obligations, while also ensuring we take time to unplug and recharge from the world outside our dark little farmhouse.
As I look at the year ahead with my planner in hand, I find joy in the mystery of what lies ahead. Opportunities wait for us that we can’t even imagine, along with inevitable heartbreak and disappointment. This won’t be the year that I wake up and become an entirely new person. I’m not starting over with a clean slate, or going to set a bunch of goals I know I won’t be able to keep. For me, the changing of the calendar is a good place to stop and reflect on the past year, and decide what is worth taking forward and what is worth leaving behind.
I’m working on a list of things I can do better, a few things I want for myself and my family, and changing a few bad habits I’ve adopted. I have decided that learning to bend when things don’t go as planned is far more important than losing that annoying fifteen pounds I’ve managed to keep since my girls were born.
Instead of running into 2025 at a high lope, my real hope is that we can all just slow down and take time to truly be present with those we love. Take time to do things for yourself, strictly because you want to. Let the kids be bored occasionally. Don’t get so caught up in your work, that you forget to look at the scenery and take a break now and then- the work will always be there, but the company you keep won’t.
As you write your story, make sure this is the best chapter yet.
❤️ Richelle
(January Article for The Cattle Business Weekly 💙💙)
