"Resolutions"

By Glorianne Swenson

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.
~J. Lubbock

This year I will burn a candle and bask in the fragrance of spiced apple.
I will take a nap between fresh sheets and not set the alarm.
I will laugh aloud even though there is no one else to hear me.

This year I will send a card and tell someone, "I love you."
I will climb hills and fly kites in the March winds.
I will cry at the movies and wish on a star.
I will pray for loved ones, for my country, and the dignity of man.

This year I will run through the tall grass like a giraffe, with my head held high.
I will read Shakespeare, Dr. Seuss, and Erma Bombeck all in the same day.
I will cradle a soft kitten in my arms and let my soul vibrate with its purr.
I will drink amaretto-flavored coffee and eat too much chocolate.

This year I will write love songs, and dance like a child.
I will chase butterflies, rainbows and sunbeams.
I will walk in warm, white sand, and let the breeze blow through my hair.
I will walk in the woods and pick wild violets and strawberries.

This year I will ride carousels and eat cotton candy.
I will send flowers to a friend and read to the blind.
I will write poetry and listen to music.
I will take a bubble bath and shop for lingerie.

This year I will rise early enough to see the moon set and the sun rise.
I will drive in the country and remember myself as a child.
I will wear pink ballet slippers, perfumed talc, and 14k gold.
I will play in fall leaves and taste the first winter snow on my tongue.

This year I will touch more. I will feel the unmatched softness of a baby's skin.
I will hold a weathered hand of a friend in the sunset of her life.
I will hug the grieving and feel their pain with them.
And if next year never comes, I've been blessed — and touched the hand of God.

http://www.chickensoup.com