I stick to a fairly regular schedule of posting my blog twice a month, the 15th-ish and the 30th-ish. But, this month, I have to jump the gun to publish my end-of-the month article a little bit earlier, because I won't be available on the 30th. It's all well and good, because this post is full of beginning-of-year thoughts, so, the sooner you get to read it, the better.
January is ending, but the year still feels new, full of possibilities. In January, there are many suggestions, methods, and devices put forth by experts to help us get ahold of ourselves as we collectively embark on another trip around the sun. If we take advantage of those ideas, the beginning of the year can be a time of self-reflection and a time of transition. I have absolutely no expertise in this area. I often fail miserably at assessing life and pointing myself in the direction that I want to go. But that doesn't mean that I can't offer my own two cents worth to help you, my fans, er, readers improve your lives at the start of a brand spanking new year.
When my kids were young, I was the Girl Scout Leader for my youngest daughter’s Girl Scout troop. We participated in many fun activities that provided opportunities for the girls to grow, mature, experiment, try new things, hone their leadership skills, and, I quote, “Make the World a Better Place.” It was a wonderful troop of girls. Great times were had. In the mission of guiding the girls through their formative years, we often found ourselves facing new beginnings, and times of reflective observation, evaluation, and resolution.
Just the other day, I remembered a poem that our Girl Scouts learned. It provides the context for what I present to you: January Lesson #1.
We prepared some songs and recitations for our visit to an assisted living facility for elderly people. This poem is one that stood out to me, because I really appreciated the message.
Whether the weather be fine
Whether the weather be not,
Whether the weather be cold
Whether the weather be hot,
We'll whether the weather
Whatever the weather,
Whether we like it or not.
Read that out loud, then try it again, as quickly as you can. You can’t tell me that’s not fun. A bit of a tongue-twister. But, that’s not the reason I like this poem so much. I really identify with the point that it makes. I think it applies to many of life’s situations, not only the weather. In some ways, in our me-centric society, I think we have lost touch with this sentiment.
Everyone knows that things might get tough. Times can become difficult. We might not like it. Yet, we need to persevere, whether we like it or not. We need to stick to our promises and commitments. We need to ride out the storms. We need to hold on, not throw our hands up in the air and walk away. We need to be consistent and reliable, knowing that we have the fortitude and persistence to keep going through life’s storms. Or through life’s annoyances. Even if they irritate us. As the year begins, we should remind ourselves that we can face whatever 2025 throws at us. Amen.
Speaking of the weather, I can't believe it snowed in Atlanta, Georgia! It's been years since we've had a healthy dose of the wintery white stuff!
January Lesson #2 involves an exercise that our Girl Scout troop did regularly. After we attended, hosted, or participated in an event, we would have a debriefing session. A Rose Ceremony. Not to be confused with what happens on the Bachelor/Bachelorette TV show. Our Rose Ceremony consisted of three messages: A Rose, A Thorn, and A Bud. For the ceremony, we sat together and gave each girl a chance to reflect on what we had just finished doing, and to offer her thoughts on these three topics from her viewpoint.
The Rose. For this, each girl would decide what was the best part of the activity for her. What she liked the most. The highlight. Say, for instance, we had attended activities at Girl Scout Camp, here are some examples of what girls might have chosen as their Rose:
“I really liked swimming in the lake.”
“I learned how to build a campfire. That was awesome.”
“I liked the hike that we took at night.”
The Thorn. This would be the low point of the event. Something that was a downer. Something that she wished hadn’t happened. Examples could be:
“It was when I fell down and scraped my knee and had to go to the nurse’s office.”
“They ran out of marshmallows and I couldn’t make s’mores.”
“My sleeping bag got wet when it rained.”
The Bud. This would be something that peaked her interest. Something new. Something that she would like to explore more. Examples could be:
“I had never ridden a horse, but I would love to do it again.”
“I met another girl who goes to my school, and I would like to stay in touch with her."
“I want to learn to play the guitar like the camp leader.”
Some answers would prompt us to discuss a little more. Some answers would help us to address issues that needed to be addressed. Some answers would help us craft future plans for the troop. For us, it was a wonderful time of sharing and giving each girl a voice.
I love the Rose Ceremony. Not only in a group setting, but also as a sincere reflection for an individual person. A Rose, A Thorn, A Bud. It’s not a top ten list from the previous year. It’s not a checklist of resolutions for the coming year. It’s an honest appraisal for a particular timeframe, where you can vocalize what was good, what was bad, and what could be built upon. The Rose Ceremony could be applied to a recent activity or experience; or to a period of time, such as last year, or last month, or yesterday. It could be customized to help you take stock of your feelings about what has come to pass. I realize this is not a grand new concept. There are many tips on self-reflection out there. Many different models to choose from. But, I love the components of the Rose Ceremony, because I find them very relatable.
So those are my January Lessons to pass along to you at the onset of a new year. I do wish you Peace, Love, and Happiness. I hope that you will find some takeaways from this post. Things that will help you during times of transitions, beginnings, endings, and ordinary times. I expect 2025 will be full of surprises. Whether we like it or not.
I remember being a Girl Scout and going to nursing homes to perform for the residents. Those people were so OLD. Ha! I like this rose, thorn, bud idea and can see how it keeps life in balance, blooming even. Applying it adult life makes sense. Thanks for the uplifting suggestion.
I already don’t like how things are going, and that is a gross understatement, but thank you for the lessons, Gwen. I’ll try.
I was a cub scout. We didn't talk about roses, thorns, and buds, but we did build and race Pinewood Derby cars, which was pretty cool. Hope you enjoyed your rare snow!