Typically the first week of the new year is filled with resolutions, thoughts of what didn’t get done last year, the exercise we didn’t do but should have, or what we need to accomplish the next year. The athletic clubs will be bursting with newbies … for a month or so. The health food stores will be visited by wannabe dieters … for a short time. Self-determined plans will be announced, “This year I will …” but soon forgotten.

I’m not one for making New Year’s Resolutions. The success rate is pretty low. But I am all for reflecting back and seeing progress made and finding a direction for the year ahead. Life plugs along at a rather fast speed and each year seems to gain momentum. I’m not satisfied with just existing each day and letting it fly by without purpose. So I take time to reflect.

For some, 2007 was a whirlwind of fear, pain, and disappointments and the opportunity to wipe the slate clean and start again is coveted. For others, it was a year of progress and celebrations of successes that drive the eagerness for another new year.

This morning I took time to look back at my focus heading into 2007. Some apprehensions ended up being puddles, but at the time were tidal waves. In other instances, the puddles grew — the death of a friend, another’s diagnoses, unknown outcomes. And yet other pieces of the year contained beautiful surprises and long-awaited dreams fulfilled.

I’ve said it before — life is a log ride filled with ups and downs. We can’t stay on the top as we have to delve deep in order to travel back up with renewed happiness. If we wallow in the valleys, something will hit us from behind. If we just sit in the puddles, we only strand ourselves. Life isn’t stagnant, but moving. Yet how frequently we crave the status quo or desire to not rock the boat.

Heading down the last slope to the mini lake below, do we keep our heads up or instinctively duck? Are we too worried about getting wet that we miss the fun of the ride? Sometimes the anticipation of the big splash overshadows the ride and we forget the memorable high points.

Fear of the unknown is very real for many. So our tendency is to cling to what is familiar, struggling to let go and reach out for what is ahead. We all fall at times, but the question is to what do we cling?

Keep our heads up in 2008. Enjoy the entire ride. Get wet … we will dry off.

As moms, wearing many hats is required (and not as a fashion statement). Some hats are fetching, while others are rather unflattering. So when I came across this saying, it fit: “I don’t know about you, but I think we’d have fewer bad hair days if we weren’t trying to wear so many hats!”

One particular day, my hair was rather disheveled …

After reading the newspaper with a cup of coffee, I put on my Working-Mom Hat to do a little computer work. While in the middle of an instant message, my daughter asked if I could make her French toast. Down went my Working-Mom Hat and on went my Cooking-Mom Hat.

As the first batch was cooking, I quickly put on my Working-Mom Hat and ran back to the computer. Minutes passed. Then suddenly the thought of burning French toast entered my mind. I dropped the Working-Mom Hat and grabbed the Cooking-Mom Hat as I raced into the kitchen. Safe!

We ate breakfast, but the Organizing-Mom Hat snuck on top my head as I began to make a list of the things we needed to do. The Multi-Tasking-Mom Hat plopped itself on top of the Organizing-Mom Hat as I walked around the house with a mouthful of French toast placing necessary items near my purse so I wouldn’t forget them, stopping by the table to gobble another bite, and then over to the counter to get my vitamins.

After breakfast, the Clean-up-the-Kitchen-Mom Hat stayed on the counter as the dishes cluttered the sink. Instead, I flung the Entertaining-Mom Hat on and picked out a movie for my daughter to watch. Back to the Working-Mom Hat I attempted to finish up a task. Within seconds, another hat peaked out ready to be used.

“Mom, the movie isn’t working. The sound is mushy.”

On went my Mom-Can-Fix-Anything Hat as my hair resembled a major case of bed head. I tried to diagnose the problem — old tape — but she was no longer interested in the mushy sounding movie. To her room she went to play on her computer. I just need to finish this one more thing for work and I’m done. As I headed to my office once again, on went the Working-Mom Hat. Nearing completion of the task at hand, the plea for yet another hat came from my daughter’s room.

“Mom, my computer won’t do what I want.” Now the Computer-Repair-Mom Hat flopped on my extremely messy-haired head. Once repaired (the computer that is, not my hair) the Working-Mom Hat barely landed on my heap of hair to finish up. Minutes later, my daughter came into my office.

“Mom, look at what I made you.”

A tad bit frustrated that my 5 minute task was taking 45 minutes due to interruptions, I almost threw the Frustrated-and-Frazzled-Mom Hat on my head, but fortunately stopped in time to gingerly place the Encouraging-and-Listening- Mom Hat on my head.

“What is it honey?”

“It’s a Certificate of Achievement Aware I made for you, Mom.”

“Thank you! What did I do to get this award? Because I made you French toast this morning?”

“No, it’s an award just because you’re my Mom! I love you.”

Moments like those make me grateful when I leave my Frustrated-and-Frazzled- Mom Hat on the shelf. I’ll switch hats. I’ll multi-task. I’ll be interrupted. I’ll have bad hair days. I just need to remember to keep my Encouraging-and-Listening- Mom Hat close by.

Go ahead — let your hair get messy. Wear a few hats (even if they are ugly). But don’t forget the most important one!