Our family has a special yearly ritual. On New Year’s Eve, we all get together, write down our New Year’s resolutions, and put them into a small container.
Then, we open it a year later like a time capsule. On the last day of the year, we go over how well we’ve stuck to our plans, encourage each other, and write down new resolutions for the following year.
We started doing this when the kids were young, and now our two daughters are in 9th grade and 4th grade. It’s fascinating to see how their resolutions become more specific and realistic as they grow older.
My husband writes about losing extra weight and reading every year, but he’s never actually achieved those goals. He must have felt sheepish about it, because last New Year’s Eve, he suggested we not criticize each other over the results. As for me, I made a resolution two years ago to “consistently study 입트영,” and I’ve been true to my word so far.
sheepish - embarrassed because you realize you have done something wrong or silly
true to one's word - keeping one's promise
우리 가족에게는 특별한 연중행사가 있다. 새해 전야에 모두 모여 새해 다짐을 적은 쪽지를 작은 통에 넣고, 타임캡슐처럼 1년 후에 개봉하는 것이다. 한 해 마지막 날, 우리는 계획을 얼마나 잘 지켰는지 돌아보고 서로를 격려하며 이듬해 다짐을 적는다.
아이들이 어렸을 때부터 시작했는데 지금은 두 딸이 중3, 초4학년이 되었다. 아이들이 자라면서 새해 결심이 더욱 구체적이고 현실적으로 바뀌는 것을 보는 것은 정말 흥미롭다.
남편은 매년 체중 감량과 독서에 대해 적지만 실제로 목표를 달성한 적은 한 번도 없다. 급기야 본인도 창피했는지 지난 연말에는 결과에 대해 서로 비난하지 말자고 했다. 나는 2년 전에 '입트영 꾸준히 공부하기'를 다짐했는데, 아직까지 잘 지키고 있다.
- It might not be possible to stick to our plan. / If you stick to your plan, I know you will succeed.
- We all felt sheepish about the result. / You shouldn’t feel sheepish about your failures.
- I know that you are always true to your word. / It wasn’t easy, but I was true to my word.
A: What’s that container for?/
B: We write down our New Year’s resolutions as a family, and we keep them in the container.
A: Oh, really?
B: Yes, we take them out on the last day of the year and evaluate each other’s progress.
A: Ah, I see! That sounds like a fun ritual.
B: It motivates us to achieve our individual goals. It’s a special yearly ritual for our family.
