New Year’s Resolutions: Hope Springs Eternal

The night before New Year’s Eve was no ordinary Friday night. Yes, I stepped out for a night on the town, and ate and drank accordingly. But unlike most Friday nights, this December 30 was the culmination of a 30+day food fest. Sugar cookies, pumpkin pies, candy and more candy. Home cooked turkey, mac and cheese, marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes. And then there was restaurant food – tacos and BBQ, tea cakes and 4-egg omelets.

When I left the restaurant last Friday, I decided that was it. NO MORE! I resolved, “I will never do this again!”

The next morning, I made my way to the grocery store and filled my cart with veggies – collard greens and spinach, leeks and mushrooms, carrots, onions, chard and…pretty much the entire produce section.

For the next two days (with a quiet glass-of-champagne countdown mixed in) I whirled around the kitchen – chopping, browning, tying up packets of herbs, chopping some more, stirring, simmering, pureeing, cooling, then filling every storage container I could get my hands on. Four savory soups, a pot of greens, mounds of homemade pesto. And then I smiled. Bring on 2017.

My opening New Year’s resolution is in the bag (well… the fridge).

Who Makes Resolutions?

Most of us make resolutions. The young and the old. Those who had a lousy year and want a change of scene. Also those who had a good year and want to challenge themselves to the next level.

So Is There a Point to Making Resolutions at All?

I think so. And here’s why:

• Structure. Our lives are full of actions, big and small. It’s kinda like the Internet. If we start surfing without knowing (at least generally) what we’re looking for, we can spend hours drowning in all the info that’s out there –I call it getting Internet drunk – and we don’t remember a thing we’ve read when we finally shut down. Resolutions remind us what we’re looking for.
• Hope. Springs eternal. And a new year gives us a do-over, a chance to get it right. Never mind the extra chocolate brownie we couldn’t leave on the buffet table at that last party. This will be the year! So we say January 1. And just to think it feels good, is inspiring. We may succumb to temptations again in the future. But we might be content with moderation. And without hope, we don’t even try.
• Accomplishment…or at least Progress. Maybe by December 31, I will have developed a habit of making ONE Sunday soup each week. Undoubtedly, there will still be chocolates in my future. The point is, just a small change that catches on is better than nothing. To get there takes self-discipline. But when you do get there, it is an accomplishment. Which might get lost in the shuffle without an intentional resolution to begin with.

So, here’s to a clean slate and renewed resolve. Happy New Year!

Share your favorite New Year’s resolutions!