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Live United by Erin Haag

In my house, New Year’s Day and the couple of days after are for the kids. While they love Christmas and the holiday travel to see family, it’s also often about waiting and being at the mercy of everyone else’s schedule. They’re staying in small hotel rooms and they don’t have their bikes or roller blades or basketball, and they’re not allowed to go roam around outside like they are at home. The past few years, we’ve spent the time between New Year’s Day and when they go back to school with getting back into the routine of early to bed and early to rise, but the time in between is for them. We invite their friends over, and I imagine those parents are ready to get their kids out of the house for a bit, too. There are usually five or six kids roaming around, and they rotate with the day.

I’m of the mindset that children should be outside as much as possible. We don’t own a video game console, and the TV is off. Occasionally, we’ll let them turn on a movie toward the end of the day when it’s getting dark outside. Instead, I send them outside and usually work on a project in my home office, with plenty of windows for me to check on them. I arm them with walkie talkies and laugh at the conversations I listen to. They hike through the woods and play epic games of hide and seek. If there’s snow, they build snowmen and create snow forts. When there’s none, they play basketball and football, take turns riding bikes and create extravagant sidewalk chalk designs. When they need to warm up, they come inside and sit around our table, drinking up hot chocolate with layers of sticky marshmallows. Lunch and supper is usually eaten really well, even by the picky eaters in the group thanks to all the fresh air and the novelty of the day. Currently I’m listening to laughter over a card game. My aunt and uncle taught us how to play Left Center Right last week, and we played with REAL money, which brought out the competitive streak in the kids from age 10 to 20. I’m wondering if they’re going to break out their money jars and if they realize that they’d be “footing the bill” for the jackpot if they do so.

As I watch my son and his best friend play catch with a football, I can see that they’re having such an animated conversation that one of them will have to remind the other that the football is there. I can’t help but think that we need these types of days as adults, not just in the days following the holiday, but throughout the winter months. So many of us struggle with the “Winter Blues.” The days are short, the weather is cold. The sun sets around 4:45 this time of year, and that can be hard. Now, more than ever, is the time to live with intention, to remember to keep moving, to find and build those connections. Bring a little bit of that kid friendship joy into your life. The Community Education booklet is out and it’s chock full of things to do. From pickleball and basketball to learning about thyroid medication or technology for beginners, there’s a wealth of opportunities for everyone. There are short day classes to ongoing learning opportunities. The YMCA is offering swim lessons for parents with their littles 6 months to 3 years of age, as well as their regular roster of classes. The Senior Center has the sweet treats, hot coffee, Art with Emelia and their pool room. The American Legion has their January menu posted, along with line dancing, karaoke and bingo. Don’t forget events at the History Center of Freeborn County. They’ve got quite the line-up of events for the year, from the Civil War Roundtable to the intriguing live radio show about the first deliberate murder of Freeborn County.

Then there’s the good old-fashioned hometown sports. Consider taking in a volleyball game, a basketball game or a hockey game. Our Tigers play hard and with great enthusiasm. I’m not much of a sports person, aligning myself with Ang at Homestead Boutique. “Yay sports!” We’re cheerleaders, and we love to watch our kids — our own kids and other kids play. We’ll be there, cheering you on, and you might see me practicing some photography and getting a lucky shot once in a while.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a United Way article if I didn’t talk about volunteering. Some people struggle with the idea of playing card games or learning a new sport. One of my favorite volunteer stories is the woman who is a working senior. She struggled connecting with others, due to her work schedule and the typical lifestyle of a senior that has a bit more freedom than she does. She had spent her time caring for her husband who passed away. Eventually she found her way to the Welcome Pantry and now she volunteers at least once a week. She was quiet at first, but now I watch her and she’s confident in her role, and I see her chatting with others on a regular basis. Volunteering can be done as a short-term commitment, or an ongoing one. If you’re really brave, you can sign up to be on a team for the Plunge for the Park to benefit the All Inclusive Playground. I’ll cheer you on from shore with my warm drink.

Someone recently asked a group for help figuring out a new hobby. At first, people were mentioning specifics and met with a lack of enthusiasm. Then someone said, “What if your hobby wasn’t’ a specific thing, but it was trying new things?” The requester had been struggling with the idea of committing to something but thought about this. What happened next was a beautiful list of things to try once, with the intention of trying it once. So what if you did all of these things that I named? You’d try new things, support our hometown, get yourself out of the house and out of the confines of work. It might seem hard, or easy to push it off. We all know that you can’t begin a whole new life mid-week, so everyone’s waiting until Monday morning to start afresh. You’re not behind committing to a New Year’s resolution. Pick one or two. Our darkest day is behind us, and each single day is the promise of a new year. By the end of February, the sun won’t set until 6 p.m.

Need help finding the information on anything I’ve listed? Give me a call at 507-373-8670 and I’m happy to point you in the right direction. While I’d love to tell everyone to volunteer with us, there’s a wealth of opportunities in Albert Lea. Embrace the beauty of winter and live with intention, connecting with others. You’ll not only boost yourself, but others along the way.

Erin Haag is the executive director of the United Way of Freeborn County.