’Tis the time for resolutions

Alanna Wolf

By ALLANA WOLF-ARMSTRONG

Staff Writer

A brand new year starts in just 48 hours and I, for one, am downright excited.

A new year brings new starts, and often sparks big changes in people’s lives.

I know a lot of people make New Year’s resolutions, and this year, I am among those people who do.

And, I’m going to share my resolution with you.

Then I’m going to issue a challenge.

My resolution for 2016 is to simply do better.

Be a better wife, mom, sister, daughter, friend, and community member.

There have been shamefully large stretches of time that I have focused so intensely on work that I have neglected to focus on my family — I know I need to do better.

So, for 2016, work stops at the doorstep, and when I come home at the end of the day I will be Mom — ready for stories about the school day, dinnertime, and cuddles on the couch.

The same thought process goes for extended family and friends.

You need to make the time for the people you love, because one day, they won’t be around to make time for. That’s the attitude I’m taking into 2016.

There are times when I stare at my husband and wonder how in the world I got so lucky.

Then there are the times where our personalities clash so severely I lovingly threaten to smother him with a pillow.

I never would, of course, but there are moments where patience runs out and two very different personalities collide.

You would think that after several years together this wouldn’t be an issue, but there are still times where it is. I need to rein in my impatience, I need to do better.

So in 2016 I will be more patient. I will be more understanding of the way he operates and recognize that even though it is different than the way I operate it is not wrong. I will be more appreciative of my husband’s amazing qualities and not take him for granted.

In 2016, I will be more active in my community. It’s a little shameful that I was relatively inactive in my city until 2015, but in the past few months I have been and I want to continue that trend. I want to be more involved and help amazing organizations like the Children and Family Center and the New Nodaway Humane Society.

And I have one challenge for you readers to take into 2016.

I challenge you to do just a little bit better. Not even a lot, just a little bit.

It doesn’t matter whether you do better at being a better parent, better spouse, better employee, or better whatever. Just try to do a little bit better everyday.

Just imagine what would happen if we all did a little better every day.

Amazing things would happen, that’s what.

The people and things around us would benefit from our being better, and in turn would do better themselves.

And that would make our corner of the world just a little bit brighter.

Happy New Year, everyone.