Marla Lowder
Cooperative Extension Service
As we are on the brink of a new year, we are about to make resolutions like “I want to lose weight” or “I’m going to get out of debt.” While those goals are great, many of us fail to accomplish them. If you have accomplished them, good for you and keep up the excellent work.
As we start the new year, I want to challenge you to make a different kind of resolution. I want you to come up with a goal that will help someone else, which, in the long run, will help you. What would that be?
How close are you with your family? If you have followed me over the years, you know my family is very important to me, and traditions mean a lot. This year, as a gift, I received the chance to go and spend time with each of my siblings. I only had an hour or so with some, and with others, it was a few days. I flew and drove to every one of my eight siblings. I am the youngest of 11, and two have passed.
When planning my trip, I called my sister, who lives in Colorado and asked if I could come and visit her for a couple of days. She was so elated as no one ever goes purposely to see her. If anyone sees her, it is just because they were passing through. You could hear the excitement in her voice and also the feeling that someone really cared. It was a wonderful visit.
Another purpose of this trip was to visit a brother who has been struggling with his health for a year, and I am concerned about him. I hadn’t seen him in several years and didn’t want to say, “I wish I wouldn’t have waited.”
So, you could vow to spend more time with those you love and enjoy their company, especially
if you are aging. If your family is young, play board or card games. Do things as a family that help you connect, talk and laugh. These are the memories/resolutions you won’t regret.
Another thing to think about is adopting a senior in a living facility or your neighborhood or mentoring a younger youth. You can do it individually or as a family. Doing it as a family sets an example for your children. It teaches them love and compassion, which we can all use.
Whatever you decide to do, make it meaningful to someone else and you. But I challenge you to give of your time and yourself somehow.
The feelings of belonging, self-worth, compassion and love are some of the greatest gifts we can give a person. I hope you will set an extra resolution this year that will show someone you care about them and will ultimately give back to you a feeling of self-worth.
If we all did it, imagine how this world would feel. Happy New Year, and welcome to 2024!
Marla Lowder is the 4-H and youth development agent for the Tanana District. To learn more about the 4-H program, contact her at 474-2427 or mklowder@alaska.edu.
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