For the past 18+ years, I’ve been part of an online community of women who were all due to have babies in July 1996 – we call ourselves the July Moms. We’ve gone through pregnancies, miscarriages, potty training, mastitis, preschool woes, kindergarten separation anxiety, bullying, puberty, teen drinking, drivers ed, and now the college application process together. There’s a lot of collective wisdom in that group of moms, believe me! As 2013 came to an end, one of the moms posted about a piece she had seen on The Today Show regarding New Year’s resolutions. The guest was Jon Gordon who suggested that, instead of making resolutions, we should each choose one word to guide us in the coming year. I’ve been thinking about this idea a lot and have struggled to come up with just one word, so I cheated a bit and chose a Sanskrit word that embodies what I need more of in my life: Santosha. According to an article in Yoga Journal, santosha has been described as a “peaceful kind of happiness in which one rests without desires.” It is a sort of contentedness, peacefulness, and acceptance. Given that I have one child graduating from college in 2014 and another who will be applying to college and going through the recruiting process, living the idea of santosha will definitely challenge me. “Letting go” is not one of my strong suits. Trusting others to do what I think they should do is tough for me. Trusting others to do what they know they should do is next to impossible. So, if my husband and children are reading this post, my commitment to you in 2014 is to be more content, more peaceful, and more accepting. To live with less judgement and more trust. To practice Santosha. Namaste.
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