Thoughts On A New Year

 2022 unfolded across the farm much the same as 2021 had left us... foggy and squishy. 

It's a new year, yes, and we all have to get used to writing 22 as we date our documents.  It will take a little bit of effort to get used to a double deuces year, but, eventually, as always, we will soon be in the midst of it- not giving it a second thought.

I don't know about you, but I've never been one for resolutions.  No gym memberships for me, no dietary restrictions, no promises to do more or less of this or that.  No, I don't believe in putting that kind of pressure on one's self. To do that makes me feel as though I am standing on the precipice of a cliff, waiting to jump into some unattainable "best" version of me - 365 days of effort with a goal of reaching some sort of perfection by the end of it all.

To me, there is nothing inherently special about beginning a new year.  I prefer to begin every day as though it were a clean slate... a new opportunity for contemplation, gratitude, forgiveness, and grace.  Being a better version of myself is a daily goal.  Some days I make my mark and often I miss it by a mile.  But, still, trying is easier when I give myself the grace of a daily clean slate.  There is no finite goal to reach... because, after all, what is the best version of me?  There's always room for improvement, right?

That's not to say that I spend my life critiquing myself or pressuring myself to do better.  It's a soft goal tempered with forgiveness and grace.  This life is a journey... one step at a time... a chance to learn, to grow, to become... better.  Softly better.  Gently better.  

The journey is ours, alone... not to be compared with any other's.  We do that, don't we?  We compare ourselves to others.  The thing is... we are all on different journeys.  Our paths intersect and sometimes merge, allowing us to walk hand-in-hand for a time.  And yet, our paths remain, incomparably, our own.

And so, friends, as we move separately together, through the days that make 2022, Hubbs and I will be journeying, one step at a time here on the farm, surrounded by the souls who depend upon us - working towards growing and learning- trying to be just a little better version of ourselves... all the while sharing the journey with you.  Thank you for walking hand-in-hand with us!

PS:  we were safely tucked in our bed as the year began... but, I can't say the same for these five crazy girls!  They were out partying all night long!  I'm pretty sure that the white chickens may have had a little too much to drink... their combs are still not on straight!