The Easiest of Resolutions in the New Year

May the holiday season bring only happiness,
joy and plenty of laughter to you and your loved ones!
Skip, Sheila, Lucy and Belle

by Skip Cohen

 ​It's Sunday morning and the first day of the new year. I hate the resolutions we all make and rarely stick to. However, I do have two at the very top of the list...Laughing more and posting Sunday Morning Reflections. The laughing more is there for obvious reasons. We live in a bizarre world, and there are too many people who take things too seriously! So it's time to stay focused on fun with a work hard - play hard mentality.

Then there's Sunday Morning Reflections - while they've always been a labor of love, there are mornings when it's hard to bring my thoughts into focus. Then again, that's why I've said these posts are therapeutic. They help me recharge for the week ahead.
 
In keeping with my resolution, here's the backstory about the images above. Most of you know I don't make a living as a professional photographer. My passion has always been the business and marketing side, and while I have plenty of gear and will match my love for the craft with anybody, my skills often need to improve.

Sheila was shopping and spotted family pajamas. The next thing I knew, we were all dressed for the occasion; Lucy and Belle included. So, for this year's holiday card, I set up two soft-boxes on either side of the bed and my camera at the foot. I was shooting with a LUMIX G9 and the 14-140mm lens, one of my favorites. I had problems with remote shooting, but I think it was my phone rather than the camera.

No big deal, I set the timer and figured I'd jump in...after all, ten seconds is more than enough time. Well, we got nothing but funny out-takes, including me falling over as I tried to move into position with Lucy. But, unfortunately, we could never get the pups to look at the camera. 

We recorded the dog show on Thanksgiving and put it on to play. The TV was right behind the camera, and we were making progress. They love the dog show. But, still, no remote, and ten seconds just didn't cut it. So, I switched to 4K video and grabbed a few single frames - *poof* - minor work in Luminar, and we had our shot.

But the real fun of the five video clips and dozens of individual frames left us laughing to the point of tears!

And there's my point - there's nothing worth stressing over this year. I'm not saying you can ignore the challenges in your life; just appreciate what you're learning along the way. Joy beats out stress every time, and nothing can top those special spontaneous memories we all can create...and capture! And if you still don't get it, Melody Beattie does - Please read yesterday's Saturday post!

Make it a point to hit those eleven-second therapeutic hugs with everyone you love...and make it a day to savor, cherish, and create memories to energize you in the future. Today's most incredible memories will be your best look in the rearview mirror weeks, months, and years from now.

Happy New Year!

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