2008 resolution? Don't write down resolutions until after the first of the year

2008 promises to be the year that we in the gardens take my resolutions seriously.

We will not make resolutions that we cannot live by so that by the middle of January we feel like the rest of the year will be a mess.

We will not make resolutions that are so simple that they have no value like the year we resolved to wear earrings every day and ended up wearing the same black and silver posts all year.

In fact, we are not making resolutions at all this year. Resolution sounds like a whole lot more commitment to some vague ideas floating around our heads. Instead, we will make plans. These are the plans for 2008. And by we, I mean me.

1. I plan to be honest--with family, friends, strangers, and myself. This is not an excuse to be mean spirited to others.

2. I plan to listen to my body and give it what it needs, whether that is food, exercise, treats, or any other thing it calls for. This is not an excuse to overeat and not exercise.

3. I plan to enjoy as much time as possible with my loved ones--Jack, Stu, Shi, Cory, Jessie, Herschel, and Jake, and of course, Breanne, Audrey, and the unnamed one.

4. I plan to forgive others--family, friends, strangers, and especially myself.

5. I plan to care more for my dogs--more brushing, more chatting, more sitting together, more dog bones, and more of whatever the old sweethearts think they need.

6. I plan to give time, the one thing I have control over, to my parents and Jack's mother.

7. I plan to see my friends as often as we can, whether newly established friendships, or lifelong relationships.

8. I plan to do the hard, valuable work that I need to do.