New Year's Resolutions and Memories

        This is the time of year when people are winding down after a long, hard 2011 and buckling up for the roller coaster ride 2012 will be. It is a time for people to reflect on the last 365 days and make a list of how they will try to make the next 365 days better. Resolutions are a great way for people to feel like they put some effort towards trying to be a better person, knowing that they will never stick to these plans for improvement.
        I rarely make a list of resolutions. If I did, they would be unattainable, impractical, unrealistic, or just plain obvious. I'm happy with who I am--what could I possibly change? I guess I could always try to be nicer to my sister. But why does that need to be a New Year's resolution?
        This year, instead of resolutions, I made a sort of a bucket list; or as my family calls it, "The Bucket List for a Basket Case" (Thanks, guys). Really, it's more of a "Things-to-do-before-I-leave-for-college-out-of-state List." It's a mix of nostalgia (going to places full of childhood memories) and going to places I had never heard of before I Googled my own city yesterday. It's got crazy, random, silly things to do (like playing flashlight tag with my friends late at night) and serious tasks (raise money for a charity). I'm also determined to make a scrapbook to document all of my adventures. So far, I have several pages finished--Homecoming, my church's Christmas Tea, having fun in the park with my friend... I'm excited for what other memories will be put inside the book.
        I think that is what makes the end of the year so special: the memories. The reminiscing. I'm not saying you can't reminisce any other time of the year, but there's something different about New Year's. It seems like everyone is looking back; the memories are nearly tangible. Even if 2011 was a tough year, it is good to look back and say Wow, I actually survived that. If the year was amazing, it gives a sense of hope that next year could be even better. Or, if your year was like mine and was up and down and all over the place and you're just plain exhausted, you can say I am so done with 2011 and am ready for a new beginning.
        If you could describe in one word how you feel about the upcoming year, what word would it be? Anxious? Excited? Worried? Ready? I would use the word hopeful. I can't think of any other word to describe my emotions. As rough as 2011 was, I have hope that 2012 will be better. Although I don't know God's precise plans for my life, I have hope knowing He has plans for me. I am hopeful for all the big events coming up this year: eighteenth birthday, high school graduation, moving away for college... But even more important than these "big events" are the small things that happen each and every day, the seemingly insignificant moments that turn out to be truly precious.
        One year ago, to the day, I decided to start this blog. I wasn't sure what would happen, what I would write about, or if people would actually read it. It was finally in June (specifically, my post on Red Rock Canyon) that I realized the true purpose of my blog. As I wrote in that post, "I don't really have a life-lesson to make from this, but it was fun to reminisce on a small yet joyful event. I guess maybe that's the point-- Finding the small moments of life that are insignificant yet oh so very significant, the moments that don't last long but make a lasting impression." I hope that in the new year, you will learn to celebrate these tiny moments with newfound joy.


 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
                  Jeremiah 29:11