Happy New Year 2022! I guess you could say I got a jump start on my New Year’s resolutions when I joined a gym in December. I knew my diet wouldn’t be great during the holidays, so I thought, why not go ahead and at least get more exercise to “counter-balance” my eating. (If only it worked that way!)
Now that we’ve turned the corner into January and put all the Christmas cookies behind us, I’m resolving to clean up my diet and continue with the weight training I started last month. I turned 50 this past November and am more determined than ever to feel as young and be as active as possible…to get the most out of this life!
Also in December, I listened to the book “One Thousand Gifts,” by Ann Voskamp. Here I discovered that to “get the most out of this life” I need to have a heart of gratitude for the many gifts I have and receive daily. Not just the obvious ones either, like “my husband, my health, my children”…but the seemingly small or insignificant gifts.
A few I made mental note of recently were: the reflection of Christmas lights on the lake, a spring-like breeze on what should be a cold winter’s day, a quiet walk alone in the early evening, an oversized puppy nudging me with her snout to get attention. With that in mind, my other resolution for 2022 is to move from only thinking about these gifts when I see them to actually taking time to write them down when I can.
In her book, Voskamp writes, “Research actually indicates that if you write down what you’re grateful for, it increases your happiness by 25 percent. And who doesn’t want that?” So I’m thinking, with the trials of life that come sure and often (and have even seemed to build up these last couple of years), I would do well to take note and remember all the blessings that also flood my days.
The January 2022 issue of River Region Parents kicks off our 27th year serving families in Montgomery, Pike Road, Prattville, Wetumpka and Millbrook. We consider it a great privilege to come alongside you throughout your parenting journey…highlighting your student’s achievements in School Bits, sharing articles to help in the various stages of child rearing, connecting you to the exciting things happening in our area and so much more.
Finally, we hope you enjoy this month’s always anticipated Private School Issue! We work closely with most of our advertising schools monthly (and have worked with most of them for many years). They are top notch and we are proud to share their details with those of you considering a private education for your child.
As we begin 2022, all of us at River Region Parents wish you happiness, peace and a heart of gratitude for getting the most out of life this year!
