September is “Self Improvement Month”.
I often think about new beginnings when the Fall comes back to
town. Not only is change in the air all
around with children and adults alike heading back for a new school year with
their fresh new wardrobes, books, and supplies.
But the world around us is all very visibly changing as well. The air turns crisper, the leaves on trees begin
to fall, and all of our wardrobes change to warmer options as we bring out the
hoodies and we pack away those flip
flops for closed toe shoes. We change
our perfumes and colognes over for heavier notes, and switch out home
accessories for warmer tones of brilliant Autumn shades. Even our meals become "new", switching over burgers on the bar-b for crock pot
roasts and chilis. New sports
begin. (Helloooo, Eagles! Pahleeze,
bring a Super Bowl home for Mama this year!!) After the lazy warm days of summer filled
with sleeping in, family vacations of beachy afternoons, forgotten diets and
slim to zero schedules is gone until next year, comes the “back to business”
attitudes that accompany this new season and new adventures it brings with it. So, it’s no wonder this month of September
has been dubbed “Self Improvement Month”.
Why not make You new, as well?
Lots of people like to think of ways they’ll focus on goals
and improving themselves come resolution time in January, at the start of a new
year. But the feelings of newness are
just so not there for me on New Years
Eve. Let’s face it- All of the major
holidays are over and done with at this point and everyone is coming down from the highs of these special events and all of the planning that went into it.
And after the partying of New Years Eve, what’s left rather than to
reflect over the past year and how it didn’t measure up to your expectations from LAST New Years. Well, that, and the rest of the long ass
winter that remains and those added pounds from holiday cookies. Bleh. Definitely, really, totally not feeling invigorated to begin work on myself, when I can barely get my behind out of bed on those dark and frigid, seemingly never-ending winter mornings.....
No, September and the changing over from Summer to Autumn
seems much more fitting for such a time to focus on improving oneself. New schedules, new outfits, new hair do’s, new
activities… New you!
Seems sensible to me.
For me and my family, lots more “new” has taken place in the
Autumn months. My new marriage with John
began in September, six years ago, kicking of our "new" lives together. Our
new marital union isn’t all. Our first
niece was born in the fall, as was our second son. Two new, fabulous lives born into our brood. And more “new beginnings” are coming about
this year for John, the boys and me. This Autumn brings about the
biggest change for my family since the birth of our second son. My eldest boy will be entering “real
school”. The big Grade K!
I know for certain he’s nervous about this
new big school, doing actual lessons, being away from home for so long each
day, having homework, and being faced with meeting new peers and trying to formulate
friendships with these new classmates. I,
too, am nervous as his mom. This is
something that never occurred to me as a kid, but parents are embarking on this
journey right alongside their children- fears, anxieties and all.
His father and I, too, know no one at this school. Will we jive with his teacher’s style, get
along with the parents of his new buds, be able to keep up with the new
schedule and demands we as his folks are required to? We don’t know how this whole “school thing”
works exactly. It’s a new beginning for
us, as well, to be the parents of a school aged child. We have signed him up, filled out our PTA
forms, marked important dates in our planners, and have met with school
officials to gather as much information as we can about our little buddy’s new
home away from home. We want nothing more than for him to grow and change- to improve and excel. We don’t want to mess
up, and make that any more difficult than his "improving" needs to be. We want to be informed, and
prepared, and help him be the best he can be academically and socially and
every other way in between. We, too, are embarking on a new journey on this new
chapter of parenthood. It’s certainly
time for a "new us" this September. It's time for us to improve as parents right along with him as he improves as a student,
and a well rounded growing human being.
If there is any improvement I wish to make now, it’s to be
more proficient. To be more organized,
more pulled together… mentally and physically.
I want to be that ideal perception of the “soccer mom” who has a warm
breakfast before sending the kiddos off to school, is there to pick them up
with a smile, has dinner cooking while helping with homework, the food on the
table, and cleaned up by bath and book reading time and enough moments left
over at the end of the day to be able to collect my scattered about sanity in
order to be just as prepared and ready for the next day. I'd like to be less emotional in matters of my children, and learn how to work in the "tough love" that I know will really pay off in terms of teaching them life skills and responsibility. Tall order.
I know. Then again, as kids, weren’t
we all taught to set the bar high? …Reach
for the stars? Have high hopes? Yeah.
You see where I’m going with this.
But that’s what self improvement is all about. First,
knowing what you want. Second, setting
the bar high on that goal. And lastly,
jumping in with both feet…. Trying your hardest to make your desires a reality. Gather information, study those whom you
admire, ask questions, (and for help when needed), and go for it! It’s never too late to improve oneself. And September seems like a perfect time to
assess what aspects of life you wish to improve upon.
I’m sure there’ll be stumbling along the way for my family
this September and moving forward. I’m
in no way expecting my organized wishes to grow wings and soar on month one of
the boy’s new school career. But, as a
family, we’ll be improving one day at a time….
Together. Wish us luck! (We’re gonna’ need it!) And, best of luck to you on your quest for
self improvement this month, whatever your goals may be!!
Happy September, "Self Improvement Month"! ;-)
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