Yule, Yardage, and Yesteryear
Today I am grateful for the family Christmas celebrations we have already had and the simple pleasure of playing games like "Apples to Apples" and euchre together.
I am grateful for the quiet and relaxing Christmas day that awaits. Our Christmas Day is usually quiet and we like it that way. Good food and a nap await. (Sam woke us up at 4:30 to let us know Santa had been here.)
As I wind down my travels through our alphabet, I had several "y" words that I felt like writing about, so it's a hodge-podge of randomness that will follow.
Yule was an obvious choice for today, as yule refers to Christmas and here we are at December 25. Yuletide greetings to those of you who celebrate this day. I keep my expectations low and focus on family time. I can't help but think of the devastated families in Newtown, CT who are facing a Christmas that must be so very difficult. And of anyone who is facing a Christmas without a loved one-because they are serving in the military overseas, because they died this last year, because rifts keep them apart.
Yesterday, in the collective sense, is full of both good memories and regrets. But recovery teaches me to not dwell on yesterday. If I have amends to make, I need to do that. But I can't live in resentment and regrets. I also can't keep reliving glory days or lamenting the good memories that have passed. If I do that, I will miss today and the new memories to be created.
Yardage jumped out at the runner in me. My favorite yardage used to be 880 yards. When I ran track in high school, the 880 was my favorite and best event. Two laps of fast start, settle in to a solid pace, then turn it on the last 220 yards. I still can relive some favorite races in my mind. But I sure wish I had some video coverage of those days. Now they use meters and 880 yards is an outdated term.
I don't usually think in yards when I think running distance, but I was curious about how many yards are in a marathon, so I looked it up. There are 46, 112. That means I have covered 461, 120 yards in official marathons. Millions and millions of yards over my 30-plus years of running. Wow! One step at a time. One yard at a time. This is also a good analogy and reminder to take life one day at a time and enjoy each step. That requires staying present.
And I close with yesteryear, referring to this last year, 2012, that is now winding down. I am a reflective person, if you haven't noticed, so year's end is always a time to consider the previous twelve months. What were the highlights? The low points? What goals did I accomplish? Which goals were abandoned?
There will be more to write on this in the coming days, but I am so very grateful for the push from certain people and for my sister's use of the term "habitual gratitude" earlier this year that led to me starting this blog. It has enhanced the power of gratitude in my life. Thanks for reading! There is much hope in what is yet to come.
I am grateful for the quiet and relaxing Christmas day that awaits. Our Christmas Day is usually quiet and we like it that way. Good food and a nap await. (Sam woke us up at 4:30 to let us know Santa had been here.)
As I wind down my travels through our alphabet, I had several "y" words that I felt like writing about, so it's a hodge-podge of randomness that will follow.
Yule was an obvious choice for today, as yule refers to Christmas and here we are at December 25. Yuletide greetings to those of you who celebrate this day. I keep my expectations low and focus on family time. I can't help but think of the devastated families in Newtown, CT who are facing a Christmas that must be so very difficult. And of anyone who is facing a Christmas without a loved one-because they are serving in the military overseas, because they died this last year, because rifts keep them apart.
Yesterday, in the collective sense, is full of both good memories and regrets. But recovery teaches me to not dwell on yesterday. If I have amends to make, I need to do that. But I can't live in resentment and regrets. I also can't keep reliving glory days or lamenting the good memories that have passed. If I do that, I will miss today and the new memories to be created.
Yardage jumped out at the runner in me. My favorite yardage used to be 880 yards. When I ran track in high school, the 880 was my favorite and best event. Two laps of fast start, settle in to a solid pace, then turn it on the last 220 yards. I still can relive some favorite races in my mind. But I sure wish I had some video coverage of those days. Now they use meters and 880 yards is an outdated term.
I don't usually think in yards when I think running distance, but I was curious about how many yards are in a marathon, so I looked it up. There are 46, 112. That means I have covered 461, 120 yards in official marathons. Millions and millions of yards over my 30-plus years of running. Wow! One step at a time. One yard at a time. This is also a good analogy and reminder to take life one day at a time and enjoy each step. That requires staying present.
And I close with yesteryear, referring to this last year, 2012, that is now winding down. I am a reflective person, if you haven't noticed, so year's end is always a time to consider the previous twelve months. What were the highlights? The low points? What goals did I accomplish? Which goals were abandoned?
There will be more to write on this in the coming days, but I am so very grateful for the push from certain people and for my sister's use of the term "habitual gratitude" earlier this year that led to me starting this blog. It has enhanced the power of gratitude in my life. Thanks for reading! There is much hope in what is yet to come.
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