Dear John letter

I think I wrote a 'Dear John' letter last night. One hitch, I don't have a 'Dear John!'

I am all about new beginnings. I thrive on being given another chance or starting over.

There are 4 seasons yet I have my life broken down into even more segments during the year.

New Year's Day is my first beginning to clear the slate, rejuvenate, and work hard at new visions or at rebuilding old visions which went awry.

My next 'starting point' is Lent where we are given a chance to repent and ask forgiveness.

Spring training and Opening Day are usually not far behind.

Advent is a welcome sight after going for months without recharging my system.

And that brings us back to Happy New Year!


I have been a push over for years....at least 11 years if not more (possibly my whole life).

When someone asks me to do something, I usually acquiesce whether I have the time, the interest, or the money (depending on the request).

That will change in 2009.

Hence the 'Dear John' letter.

A very dear friend of mine called to thank me for his Christmas present which I sent through the mail. Not necessary but very nice. In his next breath, he asked me to look something up for him. I said I'd do it even though I knew if he was near a computer, he could very well do it himself! I figured they had computers, even where he lives!

That moment passed. Once I get into work, for the most part, everything outside of work is a blur on a back burner until closing time.

Near the end of my shift, I remembered his request. I looked it up and immediately sent him an email with the information he requested. I sent the email from my work address in business-like fashion.

And then I just went off. I reminded him of my passion for New Year's Resolutions...getting back on track....taking much better care of me (last 5 years has been harsh taking care of Mom and I have neglected myself)...and told him that things WILL change.

I informed him that he could have just as easily looked up his information. I refuse to do his dirty work anymore. I've been doing it for the last 11 years and as of December 31, 2008, it's halted.

I also shared that my tirade is not directed solely at him. Pretty much everyone in my life bosses me around at one point or another--from Mom on down the line to family, friends....even fellow church/choir members which is a scream --come on, we're in Church for goodness sake!! I find laying low is the best remedy (especially at work, church, choir or wherever we have an able bodied 'leader' (like my boss/choir director/pastor--you get the idea)......'bossiness' crawls all the way down the chain.

The tides will change.....across the board....overflowing into the workplace. Everyone needs to do more work, pick up the slack, and be a team player in the workplace. We have so much added responsibility at work, I am finally putting my foot down and holding my fellow co-workers accountable for their actions in 2009. They WILL work as hard as I bust my butt in the workplace.

Anyway, I was pretty harsh in my sort of 'dear John letter' and to the point with my directives for 2009.

And, I WILL keep them. I have to. It is really a matter of life and death. I need to take much better care of me or else something detrimental will happen. I don't really care about hurting other people's feelings or satisfying everyone else's needs (I do, but you know what I mean)UNTIL mine get fulfilled at this point and time in my life.

When I hit 'send' I realized, 'I think I just sent my first Dear John letter,' and boy did it feel good!