New Year's Resolutions
As New Year's Eves went, this had to be the most unusual one yet. Previous New Years Eves, Diana had been either spent with her Aunts or with friends at a party. This year she was married to a vampire with twins. They were surrounded by daemons, witches and vampires counting down to the New Year.
"Do you make New Year's Resolutions?" Jack sat down beside Diana. He turned to Matthew and Diana as an adopted son of sorts for guidance. But he was curious about their lives in the times they hadn't been together.
Diana thought back over the years before answering. "I used to. When I was younger I would make lists of things I was going to do. By the end of the year I seldom had ticked anything off the list."
"So you don't make them anymore?" Jack had never really understood why people needed to wait until a New Year begun to reinvent or better themselves.
"I prefer to have goals. Realistic ones. Or make one change to improve my life. And then I don't beat myself up if I don't have the time or money to follow them through." She smiled up at him.
"But why wait until the New Year?" That was the part that didn't make any sense to him.
"Maybe it's when you get to the end of the year and you look back and remember everything that went wrong. It is rare we focus on all the good things that happened. So it's a new year, new me mentality." Although this year Diana was more focused on the twin's development.
"The two of you look far too serious for a party." Matthew kissed the top of his wife's head. "What are you discussing?" He sat down beside Diana.
"New Year's resolutions." Jack glanced around the room. "What is the point of making them when people don't seem to follow through with them?"
"It's a time to reflect on the good and the bad of the year almost gone." Matthew could see most of the good in the room with them. "A year ago I never thought that I would have my family in the same house let alone the extended family of all species. And while we still mourn the loss of Emily, I still appreciate the time spent in her company." He did feel some sadness that Jack had never met Em.
"From what Mum and Aunt Sarah have told me about her, she sounds like an amazing woman." Jack reached out and took hold of Diana's hand. He knew memories of Emily brought both Diana and Sarah great joy as well as great sorrow. That wound was still quite fresh.
Diana squeezed his hand. "She was. Your father is right though. This time last year, I never thought that I would be married or a mother. We have a lot to be grateful."
"So is it good to make resolutions?" His parents had made some good points, but the key thing he took from them was that it was a time for reflection rather than setting oneself up for failure.
"If it's realistic." Matthew smiled fondly at Diana. "I've seen people make long lists where they are going to learn another language and take up some exercise or another or some get rich fast scheme. Then feel like a failure because they've tried to change too much and haven't as your mother said had the time or money to do anything on their list."
Diana nodded. "Find one thing that you want to accomplish and focus on that."
"Do you think I can do something with my art?" It centred him when his mind got chaotic. If he could utilize something he was already doing, it would be easier to follow through.
"I should think so." Matthew was proud of Jack. He has clearly put some thought into this. "Why don't we go through some ideas in the morning?"
At that moment the countdown to the New Year began. It occurred to Diana that her resolution/goal to focus on the twins development but she also had to focus on Jack's as well. With Matthew on board this would be a resolution the whole family could make and succeed with. The coming year suddenly held so much hope.
"Happy New Year!" This was going to be a good year.
