I’m not making any resolutions this year. I am going to take some time to write out some goals and intentions for the upcoming year, but I don’t think that’s going to happen until next week when the kids are back in school.

I have been giving some thought to the idea of carrying a word or two with me into this new year, though. An anchoring thought or essence that I want the next 12 months to hold.

Here’s what I want: Intention and Grace.

I want to make wise choices with what I allow into our home, our schedules, our lives. Not to overanalyze every decision, but to realize we are actually in more control than I might have thought of how much chaos we allow to creep into our days.

And I want to be gracious with myself, and my husband, my kids, and my friends. To inhabit a space where I can be my true self, with all my flaws and shortcomings, along with my strengths and abilities and be at peace with all those parts of me swirling around to create the whole.

And so, the fact that I feel kind of mixed up right now, like the week ahead is this weird limbo where that whole Clean Slate feeling can’t quite hit since all the kids are home from school and since we are heading up to the ski hill tomorrow for a few days I don’t have time to take the Christmas tree down until next week and I want to throw away everything in this house and I’m not inspired to start a new workout regime today and there’s still a lot of holiday food around and I’m mindlessly eating cheese and crackers and shortbread for lunch…it’s OK. Grace says, “This week is kind of weird and you’re doing your best and aren’t you lucky to be surrounded by your amazing family with a roof over your head? And you can throw everything out next week. Just eat the cheese. Not too much, though. Listen to what your body needs. It’s all going to be OK.”

Happy New Year, all!