Last Tuesday I didn't write an article because it was Christmas Day, and instead of walking, I spent the morning with my family. Christmas is not my favorite season, because it is a very hectic time due to so many commitments. Also, I think the spiritual significance has lost ground to the commercial aspect. I see so many people on the streets in need, while many of the rest of us are busy spending money on gifts that often are hardly appreciated. I'm as guilty as anyone in promoting the commercialism.

For several years in the past, however, I chose a family to help make their Christmas more joyful by providing things that many of us take for granted. My mother once told me, "The only thing you keep is what you give away." I never understood what she meant until I began helping less fortunate people. I plan to resurrect the idea of helping others in need in the future. Helping others is more significant to me than it is to those I help. For one thing, it makes me realize how lucky I am.

On New Year’s morning I got up later than usual for a weekday, due to the fact that I had stayed up late the night before to celebrate the incoming year. My wife, daughter and I, along with friends, have spent the last few New Years at our condo in Taos, doing things like skiing, eating, reading, watching football and sitting by the fireplace, thinking about the coming year.

Dagwood in the comic strips said his New Year resolutions were to take longer naps and make bigger sandwiches—resolutions he could keep. Maybe my resolutions too should be ones I have a real chance to accomplish. Something like eating two pastries after my Tuesday walks, instead of one! One resolution I have made year after year—and failed to accomplish—is to lose weight and get in better shape. Maybe my idea of what the result should be and what is reasonable are two different things. It's hard to gobble pastries and Snickers and still lose weight.

Oh well, here I go again. Tomorrow I’ll get up early and take the walk I didn't take today. I plan to walk with great vigor, and since I'll still be in Taos, there won't be the temptation to stop for a pastry. I got off to a bad start today, but I plan to change that tomorrow. At least my heart's in the right place. It's a question of keeping it there. Maybe talking about how well I'm doing on a regular basis might help. I won't set a goal of how much weight to lose, just that I plan to weigh less this time next year and be in considerably better shape. Being in good condition puts me in a better frame of mind. It gives me energy and confidence.

Let's all work to be a better person in whatever way we choose. However long our efforts last will help make this a better world. If on any given day we don't live up to our expectations, we needn't wait till the beginning of the next year to start over again. We can start again the next day. As they say: “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”

Have a great year.

Stan