Whewww

In the Tree House: Whewww

By: Samantha S. Daviss

Well it’s all over!! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season starting with Thanksgiving all the way through the New Year.

My husband and I were sitting around laughing yesterday and just how “pooped” we are. We feel extremely blessed to have had such fun-filled holidays with friends and family, so don’t think we are ungrateful or taking anything for granted…but we are pooped!

We have always been fairly low key folks by the time New Year’s Eve rolls around, we love to be with our friends and celebrate, but we have never been the types to want to go out to the crowded parties, or big hotel parties in Dallas to ring in the new year, we are much more laid back than that.

But we think we figured out why we are so low key, aside from the obvious that we aren’t getting any younger and we have three kids we are chasing after all the time. But by the time New Year’s Eve arrives, we are so ready to climb into a cave and just hibernate like the bears do during winter. Whewwww, we “gotta” say we are so glad it’s over. We are definitely ready  for some normalcy back in our lives, if you can call it that.

We have enjoyed every minute of every second of the holidays, but “life as it were” is pretty darn good too. Luckily no weight was gained over the holidays, but sadly none was lost…so of course the obligatory New Year’s resolution will commence starting today. The black eyed peas have been eaten, the last drop of champagne drunk, and now it’s off to healthy eating and some form of exercise daily (fingers crossed).

I’ve decided to look at eating and exercise differently, rather than as an external component of needing to be thin or look good, but rather to make sure my insides are healthy so I can be stronger longer for my boys and their kids one day. I’m trying to take the vanity out of it all…and I think that has really helped me to press on to get fit and stay fit; from the inside looking out.

I’ve never been a huge resolution maker, because let’s face it…within the first 48 hours they are completely forgotten and ignored, so I try to just take the year and make a better me! Amp up the exercise, and stop sweating the small stuff. Don’t let the trivial things in life bother me so much. There will always be something or someone out there that bothers you, or you bother them…and that’s okay, because if we all got along and were all exactly alike, the world would be pretty darn boring, right?

So I’ve learned to cherish what I have and try to improve on what is right in front of me. For example, friendships…I honor and cherish those friends that I have had my entire life, and love that they knew me, (and knew way too much about me) before the Face Book era. And then there are those friendships that are developed or developing that I treasure as well. Because as we grow, new aspects to our lives develop within ourselves and our personalities allowing new people in to fill holes that we didn’t even know existed in our lives.

But my final gift or promise to myself over the next year and years to come is to give myself a little more “me” time. Take the time to sit and read my book, or go on that walk, or make it to my hairstylist more than twice a year. I’ve always felt guilty about taking “me” time, which meant I was taking time and attention away from my boys; but I read something recently that said to stay fully charged and fully focused as a mom, you have to almost force yourself to take some personal time, because if you don’t you are burning your candle at both ends and not being near as effective as a mother as you could be. So don’t think of it as a guilty pleasure, but more of a time to recharge those batteries.

And my final gift to myself is to actively pursue and fulfill a life long dream of mine. Can’t say what it is (I’m big on superstition, don’t want to jinx it)…but this year is the year for it to happen, I can feel it. So pick a goal out that you have always wanted to achieve and do it…no more excuses!!