(Me as My Mother, painted quite badly by me)
As the new year came and went, I rolled around lots of ideas in my head for resolutions: heaven knows there's room for improvement in pretty much every corner of my life(!). I looked back through some of my lists from previous years and after seeing so many repeats I decided to throw the whole idea out the window - at least for this year - and instead focus on a concept. What I've come to is a desire for more wholesome-ness in my life. I think it has a really broad application... from the way I prepare food for my family (I think wholesome connotes a lot more tastiness than healthy, don't you?), to the choices I make about how I spend my spare time, to the quality of the atmosphere that I foster in our home.
As I do with so many things in my adult life, I come back to the excellent example of my own mother. Sorry, mom, not to put you on a pedestal, but you are, in my mind, the queen of wholesome living. Always with a classic tucked in your bag for a spare moment, grinding wheat for really good homemade bread, dragging us to museums at every opportunity, gardening madly away in your Laura Ashley jumpers, patiently dealing with the fighting of four daughters, and - most powerfully - the underpinning of everything else I've listed, living your personal values of wholesomeness and virtue consistently and gracefully. The times I've met Melissa's mom, Beth, I've been struck with the same impression of her (is it that midwestern mountain-girl thing?).
So, 2010, this will be a good year. No, we probably won't move to a farm, and no, I will probably not start to raise chickens, and definitely no, I will not EVER learn to play the last page of Claire de Lune (started that goal my senior year of high school). But I think I can strive for more wholesomeness.
22 comments:
I love this idea. And look forward to more posts with updates on how it's going? Or more thoughts?
i think the painting is nice. and your description of your mom sounds an awful lot like mine! i think this concept of wholesomeness is a great one, a great idea.
p.s. i've only ever learned the first couple pages of clair de lune, too! :)
Oh, Lynnie, I just found your blog through another blog I was reading, and my mind was instantaneously filled to overflowing with wonderful memories of our days at Township - of the couch-mounting competitions, Johnny Lingo chin people, finding Bulwinkle posed around the house, a bean bag fund, Steve's white board plans of attack, waking up to "go swimming" in the RB pool...and just lots and lots of love for you. It makes me so happy to read about you and your darling family and all the cute things you're doing. And to see your paintings and your handwriting, too. I just love it all. And I love you! So tender.
Brilliant post! Touching, but far away from lame. I do wish you have all the courage and energy to bring more wholesomeness into your life (I've said "more" because I think you already have a lot of it!) A very good New year!
My sentiments exactly! I've decided to take my son's misnomer to heart this year: I will make a New Year's revolution.
Hi, I'm Mendy and I have been diggin' this blog without leaving comment for way too long:)
Your mom is amazing, and you are just like her!
That's too bad about the raising chickens because just today I saw a book called, Keeping Chickens and I seriously thought, "I should get that for Lynne!" :)
We're on the same page.. so far so good. Family # uno, slower pace this year. I want to eat up every moment.
What a good rule to live (or try to live) by for this year! Less is more, quality-time spend with family and friends, food for body and sool, peacefulness, ... I think they all fit in that wonderful picture! Good luck!
Nice portrait!
I'm just impressed that you can play any part of Claire de Lune. :) We are trending toward wholesomeness here, too, but I've never heard it put as well as you just stated it.
Lynne: I love your painting. I can see your likeness in it. I love the bright colors. And yes, wholesomeness, what a good concept to follow for the new year. I think that encapsulates my thoughts exactly. Bravo for putting it in such elegant language!
lynne -- this is such a lovely (and genius) idea...i love it.
also rather smitten with your mother ;-) and your painting, which is really quite fantastic!
xo
Lynne, I too have looked over past lists and found the same things repeated, it can be a bit depressing. I feel like there is so much to improve upon, but at the same time I feel like being gentle to myself. One day at a time, I'm trying to do better, be better in all my different roles. I did make one list and that was a list of all of the creative things I'd like to finish/accomplish, because I feel like it's the neglected part of my life that if I tended to would make all the other parts of my life happier and more fulfilling, sort of like your idea of a concept. Thanks for your goodness!
I really like your ideas about making life more wholesome! And it's true that your mother is the perfect model of wholesomeness and goodness!
I love that you posted your painting. I think its easier to share craft than art via blog posts...somehow it seems less personal. So I love that you shared your painting and I love the image. And as always, I love the inspiration.
I've been thinking the exact same things lately... I even had a mom who did all those things too! And thank goodness. I appreciate living a "real" life and being introduced to the beauty of growing things and good art and cooking real food that tastes good! I think that would be called having a good quality of life.
what a great theme for 2010!
I would like to invite myself to be a "guest blogger" on your blog! I just have to share with your readers all of the cute details you tended to before "going" the other night!!!! Please!!!I even took pictures!
Jen
Hi Lynne! It's Jennefer's friend Heather from UT! I just found your blog and thought I'd say hello! No, the painting doesn't resemble you at all but maybe it's abstract? Anyway, I have a mom like yours and I know how you feel. Good luck keeping life wholesome! Great blog!
Nothings bad for being wholesome...
I've been thinking a lot about wholesomeness since I read this post. And it's what I want as well. What a great word to sum up goodness in living. Your mother sounds wonderful...as are you.
Enjoy your new sweet little addition!
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