Keeping Resolutions Can Be Simple!

This time of the year many of us make resolutions that we sincerely intend to keep but often put aside rather quickly. We believe that our prayers and intentions make a difference not only to ourselves but to our world. Our intentions, though sincere, are many times forgotten or put aside quickly for something more urgent or interesting on our calendar. Or maybe it is just too overwhelming and so we cave in. Yet each year with a sense of hope we do it again—we make resolutions for the new year.
 
As I was considering my resolutions for this year I heard the following and found it so engaging that I decided to pass it on.
 
The story goes that a young father, challenged with the care of his young daughter and her unbounded energy, decided to give her a jigsaw puzzle, hoping that it would keep her quiet and busy for a number of hours while he went about his chores. The puzzle was an illustration of the world, and the little girl was delighted with the challenge.
 
In no time at all she was back to her father with the world put together. Surprised, he asked, “How did you do that? You don’t know geography or the continents.” “It was simple,” she responded. “The puzzle was two-sided and the reverse side was a picture of a man. I just put the man together and the world became one.”
 
I see a profound lesson is this story, a lesson that could impact our world. Just imagine if each of us kept the resolution to work on ourselves this year, to put ourselves together, to become the best person each of us can become, to think of others first, to be concerned for the poor, to take responsibility to not lay blame. Just imagine! As the young girl said, ”It’s simple.” Our world could come together, and peace could reign.
 
Sister Honora is the Assistant Director at RENEW and a Dominican Sister of Amityville, NY.