the 28 days of February

Here it is. February 1st.

Officially one month of the New Year is done.

{I am trying to avoid being trite by saying, wow, January flew by, however I will imply it}. AND, to add to this fleeting sense of time, I must confess, I am typically a wreck this time of year. I never seem to accomplish much. Crafty things that fill my heart are often cast aside with some sort of bluish busy-ness. The grey skies pull my spirits down combined with the always awful realization that the New Year, so clean and fresh just a few short weeks ago, is now pot-marked with mistakes, re-dos and impatient yearnings.  

To add to this bluish-grey time of year, is my horrid discipline at New Year's Resolutions: to me it always seems so disappointing to reach the first day of this second month of the new year and realize that there was really no resolution in my New Year's Resolutions.  Two things usually cause this. I put off making any New Years Resolutions until I can come up with a really fabulous one I can stick too then suddenly it is February 1st, and I say to myself, well what was the point anyway & promptly give up. Or almost as awful as that one, is one perhaps you can relate to: is that the resolutions I joyfully committed to 31 days before, have already fallen flat by the time February rolls around. And what is the fun in that. 

So I am tossing aside January, pretending I intended to do that along, and am now claiming the 28 days of February as my own. Not the whole year, not even the rest of winter, nor do I even dare tempt fate with the coming spring. I am just going to claim these next 28 days as my own. my own creative attempt at discipline. Not a new year's resolution but a new month's resolution. And it is perhaps a bit easier to do, because it is the shortest month of the year.  I also like that it is not a leap year so I don't have to deal with one extra day of expectation. Take that January and your enticing resolutions. 

Bouncing around in the blogging world, already so many of the wonderful and lovely blogs out there have already launched their endeavors for the New Year. I am so envious and green. They are all so brilliant. I love their sense of discipline and spirit, it is inspiring and daunting at the same time.

So here is this, my heart's desire of February and my new month's resolution: Create a little something everyday with my hands to give to my boys. Whether it is a hand written note. A drawing of a heart. Or knitting a few rows on a little something for them.

I am hoping that by doing something for them, I am also doing something for myself.  I am hoping that in this small act of creating, I am actually nourishing my soul and suspending time just for a bit. I am hoping that by having this small intentional act of creating everyday, I will move aside anxieties and worries, ever so briefly, and just BE in the creative moment -for me & for the boys.

I am sure I can walk this month, each day trying to bring in the intentional love that Valentine's Day symbolizes as well as the art of being. And the art of living. And the art of giving. intentionally & resolutely. XXOO