Resolve

So it's January 5th and I have to say that I should have gotten rid of the sugary products in my house before starting my sugar-free journey. I'm not one to let things go to waste, and since our house guests are gone I've taken to cleaning out the sugary stuff, so to speak. Agave nectar, mom's cinnamon bread (though she did go light on the sugar), coconut nog and fruit juices still tempt me at home, but I'm okay with that for now. The only way I do things is gradually.
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I finally got my hands on the Kinfolk Magazine. I heard about it through two blogs that I read, and I was waiting to put iOS 5 on my iPad so I could download it.

It was SO worth the wait.

Kinfolk is a magazine dedicated to the art of small gatherings. It is a beautiful collection of stories and photographs that glorify the goodness of sharing a cup of tea with a friend or the importance of lovingly preparing food for loved ones. I am very inspired by this particular aspect of the human experience to which these talented artists and writers decided to dedicate this magazine. It makes me proud of the gatherings we hosted over the holidays for friends and family and glad that I put so much effort into making our home cozy and our food inviting. It also encourages me to let go a bit--to allow things to unfold naturally, organically, without feeling contrived.

One line from a story really stood out to me. In talking about the harshness of a Manitoba winter, one writer wrote, 


"Winter is the recognition, in the form of a season, that we need each other."

I think about the times that Adam and I make the effort to brave the cold and snow and wind to visit a friend and how it always seems worth it, and how the weather is not as bad as we thought it would be (usually).

A few weeks ago I wrote that I was embarrassed to be so enamored of fancy things like tea and cozy neighborhoods and eating at restaurants because of my deep awareness of the suffering and needs of our community, and yet I find comfort in knowing that all humans have the desire to be warm, to drink from warm mugs in the winter and to share a meal with the ones we love. It is not luxury that I seek, but rather the comforts of community and home. All I have to do is work to extend the hospitality of our home to more neighbors.

So add that to the list of intentions for 2012.