New Year's Resolution

Seems like February might not be the exact time to make a New Year's resolution, but what the heck, it's never too late to jump in.

My own resolution came about quite by accident. I was talking with one of the young women who cleans at the facility where my dad lives. It was just before the holidays and she was telling me how much she missed her sister who was killed in a boating accident a number of years back. Then she said, "My sister was my hero. She never said a bad word about anybody." As she said these words her face lit up and it was obvious that her sister was someone that anybody would love to have for a friend.

My own reaction was that someday I would like to have someone speak about me in such terms and have their face light up at my memory. Bad news. I sometimes let slip unkind or judgmental talk. So here was an obvious resolution for me to make. I resolved to never say a bad word about anyone.

So how's it going, you might ask. Pretty good. Just having the thought that unkind and judgmental words are no longer acceptable has made me aware of the words that come out of my mouth and the words that are racing their way towards my lips. I have the ability to not speak or to do a U-turn mid sentence. This has turned out to be Good Care for my mind. My days are more peaceful and my heart is a bit happier.

And finally, when I'm in the company of someone who is talking about someone in a less than charitable manner, I share with them my resolution and tell them that what they're saying makes me uncomfortable. The truth is that it does. "It's me," I say to them, asking for their indulgence and understanding.

Finally, through this resolution I've come to understand a little bit more about taking Good Care of myself. Too often I'd think about Good Care in terms of only my body. I've found that caring for my mind and my thoughts and my words are as important for my body as the eating and exercising part of caring. It also seems to be a lot easier.