Resolutions Kept

The list was short. “I resolve to clean out the closet in the back bedroom.”

I should be able to knock out this resolution in no time, Sam thought to himself.

He had made a habit of making and keeping New Year’s resolutions for most of his long life. The older he got, the less taxing they became. After nearly eighty years, he didn’t want to break his streak by resolving to do something too hard.

Three hours later found Sam knee deep into closet nostalgia. It was like a circus where impossible numbers of clowns emerge from a tiny car. He had to have pulled enough stuff out of this closet to fill at least two garages.

The deeper he dug, the slower the progress. It was like watching his life unfold in reverse. There was that putter he had lost five years ago. Next came a trophy from his bowling leagues; second place 1988. He was thrilled to find a box filled with old albums. Perry Como was timeless.

His eyes came to rest on an old cigar box. He hadn’t seen that for more than fifty years. Opening it up gently, he found long forgotten treasures such as his grandfather’s retirement watch. At the bottom of the box was the list. He unfolded it gently and read from his very first New Year’s Resolutions. The date at the top was January 1st, 1950.

Let’s see how I did, he thought to himself.

"Finish College." Check, he thought. " Get a good job." Check. The last one said …

“Sam, your lunch is ready,” called his wife of fifty years.

..."Find something that will make me happy for the rest of my life."

He smiled at the sound of his wife’s voice and then thought Check!

Word count 296