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New Year’s Resolutions That Matter: Reflection, Traditions, and a Fresh Start

  • Writer: Karen Hand Allen
    Karen Hand Allen
  • 6 days ago
  • 3 min read

New Year’s resolutions have long been meaningful traditions, offering time to pause, reflect, and look ahead. With the blog being developed these past few months, we’ve considered where we’ve been and where we hope to go, with a desire for growth, balance, and purpose. I’ve had so much fun working with our team, writing, gardening and cooking, which have dominated time. My favorite pics:


Bright pink star-shaped flowers cluster above lush green leaves, creating a vibrant and lively scene in a garden setting.


Taco salad in a crispy shell with guacamole, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, and jalapeños on a leaf-patterned plate on a black countertop.

An older woman stands in a small outdoor garden bed, carefully holding and inspecting large, broad green leaves from a healthy leafy plant growing in the soil around her. She is slightly bent forward, focused on the harvest, with more lush greens visible at her feet. The setting appears to be a neighborhood or community garden, with grass, a sidewalk, and multi-story residential buildings with balconies in the background, suggesting an urban or suburban environment.

Golden-brown roasted turkey on a platter outdoors, with green foliage and a lake in the background under a clear blue sky.

Some of my resolutions concern health and choices I make every day. Like many people, I always commit to exercising more, choosing healthier foods, and making good decisions that support long-term well-being. Ugh, but I do realize I need to slow down, relax, and make space to manage stress, but then, don’t we all! Digging in dirt, planting and watering always relaxes me, but harvesting and cooking gives me an incalculable thrill. Here we go:


Top view of a healthy kale plant with large, textured dark green leaves in a garden bed. Soil and small plants are visible around it.

A freshly harvested bunch of carrots rests on a light-colored surface, their orange roots still dusted with soil and long, thin taproots visible at the tips. The vibrant green tops are attached, spreading outward in a loose bundle and giving a clear sense of how recently they were pulled from the ground. The carrots vary slightly in size and shape, adding to the natural, just-picked feel, and the overall scene suggests a home garden harvest brought indoors for cleaning or preparation

A striking pink flower emerges from the center of a lush cluster of thick, glossy green leaves, its pointed petals radiating outward in a dramatic star-like shape. The plant appears healthy and well-established, with layered foliage creating depth and contrast around the bloom. The vivid pink against the deep green leaves draws immediate focus, suggesting a tropical or ornamental plant growing in a garden or landscaped setting.

If I were to write a letter to myself as part of a New Year’s resolution, I would have more meaningful time with my family and remind myself to be present and listen. After all, family is everything and at the core of my happiness.


That letter would also call for me to get better sleep, and to honor the need for restoration. I’m the queen of late night, writing and reading till the wee hours of the morning. I value joy and wonderment, an openness for gratitude and quiet beauty found in everyday moments through the year. When I was little, before I was adopted or had a camera, I took snapshots in my mind so I could recall them later, I still do that today. My fond ones of beauty this year:


White and purple flower in bloom with green leaves in the background, illuminated by a flash, showing vibrant colors and intricate petals.

A bee rests on vibrant purple flowers surrounded by lush green leaves, with small yellow buds visible in the sunny background.

Dramatic sunset over a lush green field, with vibrant orange and blue clouds filling the sky, evoking a serene and peaceful mood.

Fireworks burst in the night sky, displaying glowing streaks of light against a dark background. A festive and celebratory mood is apparent.

New Year’s Day feels like renewal, a reminder that life offers new beginnings where we make a clean slate and reflect on what truly matters and what fills us with hope. I want to lift others up, to be a positive force, and always to be kind. I’m still working on that. Every day. It’s harder than I thought it might be, especially if I disagree with them. New Year’s Day helps me focus there, but sometimes I feel like the inner rascal I was as a child who escapes and runs amuck, dashing every resolution I ever made.


New Year’s Day Foods and Customs


Bowl of bean stew with tomatoes and ham, a cornbread muffin, and a Topo Chico bottle on a festive table with silver decorations.

New Year’s Day in the United States often includes foods believed to bring good fortune for the year ahead, blessings, and good tidings to come. In the South, black-eyed peas, either greens, or brussels sprouts, and cornbread make up the famous 'good luck' trio. The peas stand for prosperity, greens for wealth, and cornbread for gold. Many families also eat pork for prosperity and abundance for their first meal of the new year. 


A metal muffin pan holds a dozen evenly baked, golden-yellow rounds, each gently domed and rising just above the rim. Subtle variations in color and light browning around the edges suggest they were baked until tender and perfectly set. Small droplets of butter or moisture dot the pan, giving the impression they were just pulled from the oven, while their uniform shape and warm hue suggest a fresh batch of cornbread muffins or soft rolls cooling after baking.

For New Year’s Day I made Black-Eyed Peas, Cornbread Muffins and Brussels Sprouts, the same such meal that my mother made for many years. I wouldn’t change a thing.


Brussels sprouts are being sautéed in a black pan on a stovetop. The sprouts are halved and slightly browned, surrounded by leaves.

Other countries also have rich New Year’s Day traditions. In Greece, families bake a sweet bread called vasilopita, inside which a coin is hidden, whoever finds it is said to have good luck all year. In Korea, tteok, a rice cake, is eaten to symbolize purity and aging. Then, in the Philippines, families prepare round fruits, using twelve varieties for each month’s luck.


New Year’s Customs in Paris, France and London, UK

New Year’s Day in Paris is marked by a relaxed atmosphere as families gather for another refined meal and enjoying the city’s quieter streets. A long-standing custom includes attending the Grand Parade on the Champs-Élysées, featuring dancers, musicians, and performers from around the world. The day is a peaceful beginning and shared joy for the New Year.


New Year’s Day in the UK brings additional traditions, including the famous New Year’s Day Parade through central London. Colorful floats and marching bands celebrates multicultural unity and energy. Some families prepare roasts or stews, symbolizing comfort and strength. The day represents hope and goodwill across the city.


Whatever you do, cherish all that you love and give thanks to God for peace, beauty and serenity. May we help each other, together we can do it. 


 Here we go again, you knew I couldn’t resist, here are my personal New Year’s Resolutions. They are promises to live by with care and joy:


  • Spend unrushed time with my family.

  • Choose healthier foods.

  • Make thoughtful decisions.

  • Exercise regularly.

  • Relax, rest.

  • Get sleep.

  • Embrace joy and wonderment in everyday life.


A special thank you to our readers and subscribers! Without your love and encouragement, this blog would not be possible. You inspire me every day. May this year bring you peace, joy and unabandoned laughter. You have my love, gratitude and trust. This is for you. 


Watch for our new series, as we invite you to join us on our International Travel Trip to London and Paris as we revisit our trip there for New Year’s Eve and on into the New Year, Bon Voyage!


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