We’re about six weeks into the “Year of Bloom,” so let’s check in. I hope you’ve set some goals of your own that focus on how you take care of yourself – I personally can’t stand “resolutions” that are dressed-up self-loathing. You know the kind I mean – “I’ll lose 30 pounds by spring!” “I’ll read all the Great Books this year!” “I won’t eat any fast food!” “I’ll learn how to crochet and will make handmade gifts for everyone I know!”
Why are we so mean to ourselves?
Self-care should be gentle, not competitive. Resolve to act with kindness toward yourself. Celebrate your body, which has carried you through an awful lot to get you to where you are today. Enjoy good food. Craft and read, then put it all down. And, for heaven’s sake, ask for what you want and be willing to say, “That just won’t do” when it’s not available.
This is harder than it sounds. It shouldn’t be, but it is. That’s why it’s so important to celebrate the small wins. For example, yesterday was warm enough to convince me that I should take the top down on Sally Mustang as I drove to the grocery store to get Super Bowl snacks. And that I should watch the Super Bowl, which is an event I enjoy, although my Beloved is at best indifferent to the whole thing. He made the most delicious burgers and left me to enjoy the spectacle that is the Big Game while he did his own thing. (This is one secret to a happy marriage, Dear Readers.)
Overall, my goal for this entire year is to deliberately slow down. Move with intention. Take the scenic route. Less scrolling, more real life. Some days I do that well and with style. Other days, well . . . not so much. But then I try again. It’s about establishing new, positive patterns and that requires repetition.
For example, I set myself the goal of seeing all of Wes Anderson’s movies this year. I didn’t manage to see any in January, but I finally got started with Bottle Rocket. It’s his first one and you can see that he’s still figuring out his style, but it’s breaking through in flashes here and there. Plus, an hour and a half spent with the Owens brothers is seldom wasted.
I’m getting outside to walk on a regular basis – at the start of January, I had to pause to stroll-walk a mile on a flat, paved trail. Now, my usual walk is longer and I can go without so many breaks and move a scooch faster. I didn’t make my January goal of 25 miles and that’s okay. Maybe I’ll make it this month – the key is to keep trying. I find it helps to have a goal in mind and I like the quality bling of the Conqueror virtual races. I just got my Daffy Duck medal and am on the third of the Looney Tunes series – Wile E. Coyote is having me move 70 miles to earn that medal. It’d be nice to finish that before Easter and I’m taking my bike in for a little tune-up this week so that when the warm weather returns, I’m ready.
I’m trying new recipes, which is fun if you go into it with the attitude of “Well, we can always have sandwiches.” I totally botched a simple cookie recipe yesterday (turns out that when you leave out the oatmeal, you need to increase the flour!), but ingenuity gave me the idea to buy some good ice cream and have cookie crumble topping. (And to buy good ice cream, not just whatever glop is on sale, which is my usual mode of operation.)
Looking into the past for some inspiration when things were a bit slower since the Internet hadn’t been invented, in the last six weeks I’ve worn several actual hats, often adorned with sparkly brooches. Since I’m stepping away from Facebook – I dropped back in there this weekend and was amazed at how quickly my mood plummeted – I hope to spend more time reading (I’m part of an online book club; message me if you’d like to join!) and get back to actually writing letters.
I spent some time during the warm spell rooting my plant cuttings, which were all given to me when I hesitantly requested that my “green thumb” friends help me out. It’s nice to look up while I’m typing and see small jars of cheerful green things on the windowsill. It’s also cool to see a fuzzy white marabou Christmas tree adorned with red felt hearts on my desk. And the latest postcard watercolors I’ve created. And the collage of colorful, inspirational images I have tacked up on the wall to remind me of where I hope to be moving toward this year. And the puzzle table that’s waiting for me to find the edge pieces of my next project there.
Taking care of yourself should be a joy. And a frequent one, Divas. It’s taken me literally years to have a space that is set up purely to delight me, which is why I’m able to do these things. Don’t waste any more time and go set yours up to suit you. Even if it starts out just being a corner of a room or a single bookshelf.
Go Bloom!
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