New Age Resolution

Yesterday was my birthday.  I had plenty of cake; there was a chocolate chip cookie one in the morning delivered by my two sweet children.  As I was getting clothes and shoes from my closet, I heard their little feet scampering down the hallway.  They began singing "Happy Birthday" while surprising me with the cake they'd picked up the night before with their daddy.  It was quite possibly the sweetest moment all year.  Later in the evening, one of my best friends brought along a chocolate cake covered with luscious strawberries and rich fudge icing.  The combination was irresistible.  In between the cake-filled moments were lots of birthday wishes, flowers, a couple of drinks, and plenty of hugs and smiles.  It was a beautiful day.  I felt spoiled to have such thoughtful people in my life, willing to take a moment out to share the love.

Birthdays, for me, are another time to which I assign "resolutions" much like the New Year.  It is, by default, a time to reflect upon the past year and wonder what, as I get older, I want to change.  Maybe it's time to drop an old habit or way of thinking.  Maybe it's a good time to start doing something I haven't done in awhile.

This birth year I've decided to refocus on my practice of meditation.  Actually, it wasn't really an original thought.  My therapist asked me this week if I was still meditating on a daily basis.  I responded with a half dozen excuses, all of which were not even worth my breath.  I know firsthand the benefits of meditation, especially for someone like me who can easily fall into auto-pilot.

This morning (on the birth of my new birth year), my estranged other half called just in time for my meditation practice.  I was using the Headspace app on my phone; otherwise, it wouldn't have mattered. He rang in just as I was listening to the introduction, so I was able to take the call -- telling him I'd call him back afterwards. I didn't want whatever he had to say to disrupt or disturb my sense of serenity at the time. It wasn't a bad conversation afterwards.  He threw in some acerbic comment, but it bounced right off of me, perhaps because I took the time to meditate.

There are other resolutions I've made.  I'll be eating clean. I'll be getting outside in this beautiful weather.  Those are tales I'll explore at another time.