Thursday, January 12, 2012

New Year's Resolutions

I've never been big on New Year's resolutions, but this year I happen to be brimming with all sorts of desires for self-improvement in many different areas. Being a scatter-brained disorganized extraverted person by nature, I need to sort of ponder out loud to you all (all two of you!) about each of them.

I probably have too many things to really have any amount of "focus" on any of them! I know by the end of 2012 I'm not going to be in shape to run a marathon, a concert pianist, speak fluent French, set up the perfect toddler at-home Montessori experience, a master quilter, have a quarter-acre mini farm, or be on the illuminative way of sanctity, but I'd like to be at least closer to each of those than I am now. Progress, not perfection, yes? Also, I think that women, and housewives in particular, tend to be dabblers by nature. I'm reminded once again of this Chesterton quote:

"To be Queen Elizabeth within a definite area, deciding sales, banquets,
labours and holidays; to be Whiteley within a certain area, providing toys,
boots, sheets, cakes and books; to be Aristotle within a certain area, teaching
morals, manners, theology, and hygiene; I can understand how this might exhaust
the mind, but I cannot imagine how it could narrow it. How can it be a large
career to tell other people’s children about the Rule of Three, and a small
career to tell one’s own children about the universe? How can it be broad to be
the same thing to everyone, and narrow to be everything to someone? No; a
woman’s function is laborious, but because it is gigantic, not because it is
minute. I will pity Mrs. Jones for the hugeness of her task; I will never pity
her for its smallness."
We have to do a little bit of everything! At least it's all interesting! I have to run off to meet Ryan for noon Mass now but I will post more on my specific goals later. Blogging more often is one of them, so it's going to happen, I promise!

4 comments:

  1. I gave zero thoughts to resolutions this year. I mean, there's things I want to do, but I haven't concretely said "this is my resolution for this year". I think I'm a little preoccupied right now though. :P

    I'd enjoy posts about your Montessori endeavors.

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    1. Are you into Montessori, too? I think I will have to do a post about it. I'm completely enamoured of its profound understanding of the role of education as simply allowing the best of human nature to develop itself. It's so Catholic, and so true! We've tried a few small things with Anthony and I think it has already helped him in his development.

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  2. Even a new look--cool! (although, it seems a little glitch-y... I had to go to internet explorer to leave this comment)

    I've never really made any definite resolutions either. I'm interested to hear about yours though... you're learning French?

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    1. I was just finishing it, probably as you were commenting. Hopefully it looks ok now. Yes, learning French with Ryan. It's fun!

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