By Kimberly Gasuras

While some people have given up on making New Year’s Resolutions that they may not keep, many are committing to some very profound ones.

For Bucyrus mom Lacee Bowersox, her focus in 2018 will be on her two young children, baby Archer and 4-year-old, Alexis.

“My resolution is to play with my kids more and to stop worrying about the laundry and cleaning. My kids need me,” Bowersox said. “I need to play with them more, so I can give them the best childhood I can. They won’t remember the laundry always being done and the house always clean; however, they will remember when mom played with them.”

Carolyn Shireman, founder of The Positive Seekers in Bucyrus, also is focused on family this new year.

“My new year’s resolution is to try and make up for lost years with my kids and grandchildren, to make new memories of love and happiness. To bring back the family unity we once had,” Shireman said. “By God’s grace, we have been given a second chance. We will not fail.”

While many people opt to ring in the new year with alcohol, Tara Schiefer abstained while maintaining her sobriety.

“I am going to continue to stay clean from all drugs and alcohol. On Jan. 25, I’ll have two-and-a-half years clean of heroin and Xanax,” Schiefer said.

Jessica Butler Vanichek and Heidi Valdez want to improve their self-esteem and gain more self-confidence in the new year.

“I want to build my self-esteem up,” Vanichek said. “I’m going to try to actually leave the house and go out in public without full makeup done. As of now, my self-esteem is so low; I will not leave the house without makeup on. I’m going to try to stop caring what others think of me.”

Valdez’s resolution is to allow more pictures of herself to be taken.

“I tend to take all the family pictures and not be in them,” Valdez said. “I am self-conscious of my weight, so I dislike being in pictures.”

After her dad died, Valdez said she realized how much she cherishes the few photos she has of him.

“I am making a conscious decision to allow more pictures, so that my kids will have the memories after I’m gone,” said Valdez, who heads up the Bucyrus Salvation Army with her husband, Ray.

Shanna Fetters said she does not make resolutions.

“I don’t make one for the simple fact that you do not need a new year to start something new,” Fetters said. “Each day is a blessing to start over, try again, or do something new so, why wait an entire year.”

While Galion resident Ed Kline is going to try to stop smoking in 2018, Carolyn Morehart has already put the ball into motion on her quest to lose weight.

“To finally lose weight, my husband got us a membership at the YMCA, so that’s my resolution for 2018,” said Morehart, who lives near Crestline.

Bucyrus resident Mitch Schulze has two resolutions: to lose weight and land a new job.

Amie Barnard is from Bucyrus, but now resides in Georgia, and is breaking her goals down into months.

“I try to make a resolution each full moon of the month, just something I need to focus on or improve. A month seems more doable to me than a year,” Barnard said.

Upper Sandusky resident Matt Vanderpool said he normally does not make New Year’s resolutions.

“That way, I’m not disappointed in myself when things don’t go as planned. However, in 2018, I have all intentions to be thankful every day for all the blessings on my life, small or large,” Vanderpool said. “My focus will be to negate the negative and enjoy the positive.”

After suffering two stress strokes in April, Jeanette Williamson Parker is striving to regain some of her energy.

“My goal for 2018 is getting back enough energy to just run my vacuum, without draining all my energy. I want to get my energy back,” Parker said.

Chrystal Pfeifer is resolving to live a life that is authentic.

“I will no longer allow anyone toxic to remain in my life, and I will reach each goal I set in the coming year by not procrastinating and going for it,” Pfeifer said.