Happy New Year!

For about two weeks after the New Year it is common for “Happy New Year” to be the small talk replacement for “have a good one,” or whatever trite parting some one might use. But when does it become ridiculous? Is it too late after the 5th? How about the 8th? What if you haven’t seen someone for a month and it’s now the 20: is a “Happy New Year” out of line? I don’t have an answer to any of those questions, they were just fun to ask in a quick succession like that.

Aside from my semi-tirade on late wishes for perennial happiness, I do have something to say about the new year. It has now been three weeks, just enough time to have messed up on all of your resolutions. Some you weren’t “mentally prepared” for so now you’ve resigned to waiting another year. In general you may be frustrated like I have been over the past years for not eating healthier, making and sticking to a better budget, not being more productive, communicating more regularly with long-distance family, reading your Bible everyday, losing weight, gaining weight, and whatever else may be on your list.

Well, I have good news for you, we have another new year to use to get our life “back on course.” In case you didn’t know, this monday is the Chinese New Year. So while your “failures” are fresh on your mind, take time to examine what specifically hindered your success. Was it the pressure from your friend to eat that third piece of chocolate cake that messed up your whole diet? If so, tell your friend you can’t eat it all because you need to send some to jasonwarrenemly in New York. Were you so focused on the Bible Reading checklist, you missed one mark and are allowing that to derail your communication with your heavenly Father? Did you cave one your budget when you saw that pair of comic books, I mean shoes, you wanted?

Whatever the case may be, reflect and move on. Take the time today to figure out what it was that threw you of, celebrate the Chinese new year, and when Monday comes, pick up where you left off starting your resolutions over again. Look at it like you have a three week freebie.

On a completely unrelated topic, I bought some boots for the snow, just hours before the snow storm hit. This was not the stupid umbrella ella ella ay all over again. Too bad there are no boot songs to get stuck in your head...

Happy New Year!