Choices

I was between a somewhat older first cousin and her two sons.  That made me just the right age to be not exactly a “sitter”, yet the adult when we were a group by ourselves.  The younger of the boys was always sure of himself and what he planned to do.  Assigned a New Year’s theme in the sixth grade of what he wanted to change about himself, his two sentence answer was this. “I don’t want to change anything.  I like me the way I am.” Yes, begrudgingly, he did have to write it over.

I have thought often of his answer, especially in my eighth decade and at New Year’s.  In my life I have used this time to make resolutions for improvement or set goals for completion.  Twelve months later the review is usually,”Humph, baby steps.” This year I am listing choices for a small time.  I don’t need a major project that adds stress to my life. I plan to look at wants and possibilities and hours available. Over a period of time, I would like to master a few more Spanish words and lay aside the pressure of carrying out with ease my half of a conversation. Some days, demanding as it may be, I need to pull out the checkbook and balance the numbers. A design lurks for one more quilt.  If I only get it half done, the pleasure of daily seams will be sufficient. A trade off for gym exercise is digging out nut grass and oxalis, always there and waiting. Ah, a rainy day will provide time for reading a book in bed, and no one will know but me.

Paying attention helps good choices happen.  This person is a good friend.  Have I called, or written, or even had lunch?  Did I slow down enough to say thank you to the clerk in the grocery store who helped me find brown sugar? Can I put aside thought out lesson plans to just listen to a first grader tell about taking his dog to the vet?  When we brought our first child home, my daddy said, “There’s always time to rock the baby.”  At the end of the year, what we’ve chosen each day is what matters.

Therefore, choose life.  Deuteronomy 30:19b