A Mickeyism for January

Of the one hundred and fifty million resolutions that fail every year, one-third of them have been broken and abandoned by the end of January. A discouraging fact if it's December and you are just giving consideration to your New Year's resolution and clearly not much encouragement, if it's closing in on January 31, and your will power is waning.

I've had an amazing experience, so far, attempting to write a letter a day but it hasn't always been an easy journey. Yes, there have been days when I've had plenty of time to write and the words came easy. Other days, I have torn up completed letters because the writing felt forced and days when I just couldn't find the time to write. Although  abandoning the resolution has never been an option for me, I have definitely felt the frustration of encountering set backs. Words of wisdom, spoken by my mother decades ago, have kept me going.

My mother was a list-maker extraordinaire. She kept lists of books she wanted to read, topics she wanted to explore, corners of the house she wanted to clean... the list of her lists goes on and on. Her daily activities were guided by a To Do List which she lovingly wrote each morning and joyfully attempted to eradicate during the day. I sensed its importance from the time I was old enough to climb up in the chair, next to her, and watch her write. One day, curious as to what kind of punishment she must certainly impose if she didn't complete that all important list, I asked her what happened in those cases. "Nothing", she replied with a smile, "you can never be a slave to your lists."

Courtesy of Google Images

                                                          
As I see it, a resolution and a to-do list are similar. They both identify behaviors we're sure will improve the quality of our lives and failing to follow through brings disappointment. My mother just reasoned that persistence would be more effective than punishment. No nagging, negative self-talk for her. She'd simply pick up where she left off and carry on.

 The letter writing has already brought me immeasurable joy. Now, at the end of the week, I'm going to focus on the joy I have gotten in composing those letters and ignore the nagging reminders, in my head, of the letters that I still need to write. Cheering about the (slightly less) than 31 letters I have completed is definitely easier than contemplating the 300+ I have yet to write.

By the way...that wise mom of mine never wrote resolutions...just lists.

365 Letters in 52 Weeks

So, that's it...my resolution is to compose one handwritten letter for every day of the new year. To comfortably reach this goal, I'll need to write about seven letters a week but not necessarily a letter a day. It's important to me that I enjoy the process of writing and that I'm not freaking out because it's closing in on midnight and I haven't given a thought to the letter of the day. 

Responding to e-mails won't count and neither will sending a card intending to recognize a special occasion, with just my signature. However, I anticipate that I will be writing lots of birthday, anniversary, and get well letters. I'm not going to be specific about the length of the letter as it's easy for me to be as chatty, with my pen in hand, as it is to be chatty face to face. I'll simply be writing from the heart...lots of times.

 

A new year is sort of a journey of unknown destination. You assume you are certain of your course only to have the path lead you directions you never planned or imagined. I'm assuming my resolution will be much the same. But with my pen in hand, I am ready for the adventure.

 

Happy New Year!

 

 



                                  












       

Priorities

I struggled to write this post, today, as I was anxious to continue with the details of my resolution writing plans but something kept getting in the way. Then I realized that there is something incredibly important, that I need to clarify before I progress a step further. My mother's letter writing routine and my letter writing resolution will never really be about just composing and sending letters. They are both about identifying the things that are important in our lives and aligning our actions to reflect those values.

My mother's letter writing ritual started as a simple way to stay in touch with long distance friends but it turned into a personal and unique way of reminding those she loved, near and far, of their importance in her life. And in doing that, it also allowed her to dedicate a part of her life, everyday, to one of the values that she held closest to her heart....the value of friendship.

With my resolution, I want to pay tribute to my mom and the magical way that she always made everyday activities, like celebrating friendships, beautiful and pleasurable. Personally, I want to be more consistent about remembering friends' special days and communicating how important they are to my life. And, if  along the way, I encourage others to write a letter to someone special in their lives, that will make my journey even more meaningful.
























Making Mickey's Joy My Own... A Resolution

 

 

The Art of Letter Writing, my new calendar for 2013, recently arrived in the mail. The monthly images are all works of art, from various galleries and private collections, depicting men and women writing letters. Each month features a delightful vintage image, and the appropriate name of the month, and the days of the week all written in five different languages. I instantly loved the layout and the look of the calendar but it was the message on the back of the calendar that, for me, was a personal call to action.

                                                      
There was a time when

writing letters was our

only means of communicating.

In these days of phones, e-mail,

and text messages, letters can seem

hopelessly outdated.

But it's an art worth bringing back;

letters create a connection

that modern, impersonal forms

of communication will never approach.

 

My mother's dedication to the hand written note began long before I was born. By the time I was old enough to understand how committed she was to staying in touch with loved ones, her letter writing routine was well established. I heard people, throughout my life, tell my mom how her birthday wishes, letters of encouragement,  messages of sympathy, or just thinking of you notes had touched their lives. I saw the joy it brought to both the writer and recipient. It's sadly ironic that I have not been a more faithful letter writer, myself.

After reading the message printed on the back of the calendar, I decided that I was going to make a New Year's Resolution to do my part to help revive "an art worth bringing back" and continue my mom's legacy... if only for a year. I haven't worked out the details but I figure that I have about  four weeks to determine exactly how that resolution will look. Yes, I recognize resolution writing isn't brain surgery but I want to make sure it's an attainable challenge even if it will require time and effort. Besides, I am the classic compliant child who always has to be clear on boundaries...even if they are self imposed. On top of that, it is December, when those quiet thinking moments aren't always easy to snatch. 

Monday will be the day that I post about my resolution writing progress.That will still give me a few days, each week, to share a craft idea or a fond memory. I'd love for you to follow my journey. It should be interesting as I've never given this much thought to a resolution, in my life, and perhaps no one ever should. But my mother gifted me with so many wonderful  life lessons and touched so many people's lives through her letter writing that I feel compelled to do this.

Possibly, with a beautiful thematic calendar, as a constant reminder and your help as cheerleaders, this will be the year that I can truly make Mickey's joy my own. Wish me luck!