As 2021 came to a close, people often asked the age-old question. “Are you going to make a New Year’s Resolution?” A typical response nowadays is, “No, they never work.” It is like a magic key that will automatically open the door to significant changes.
My Mom has lived in a tight-knit farming community for more than sixty years. Even now, at the age of 91, an ardent quilter. She has quite a large stash of fabric, but most of her friends know. Mom is always on the lookout for the right piece.
After a battle with cancer, Denny, one of her neighbors, called her, “I’ve lost a lot of weight. My shirts used to be tight but, now they hang off me. I’m going to get rid of them, so I wondered if you could use them?”
Naturally, Mom’s response was, “Sure, I’ll do something with them.”
“Great,” Denny responded. Then he took all his shirts out of his closet. Later, in the afternoon, he flung a gallon trash bag into the bed of his pickup.
After a quick cup of coffee with Mom, Denny left; Mom threw the already clean shirts back into her washer. That winter, when I called her from my home in Oregon, she’d usually give me a blow-by-blow report. When I called to chat one time, I asked Mom what was going on; she caught catch me up on the family news and then said, “I’m watching a movie and taking apart all Denny’s shirts.” Another time she said, “My back hurts because I’ve been leaning over my table all day, working on the quilt.” After she got all the fabric ready, she could see her with my mind’s eye, my dear Mom, down on her hands and knees, on her living room floor, moving all the pieces around until she was satisfied. Even though she complained about her knees hurting, she wouldn’t quit. After months and months of work, Denny’s shirts and other fabrics became a beautiful quilt.
This year, I’ve set a goal to maintain my physical ability. Then I chose to eat better, drink more water, and exercise. These action steps (resolutions) will help me do it. Whenever I forget about my action plan for a couple of days, it’s tempting to give up on my goal. Then I remember how minor changes can make a significant impact.