I embarrassed my kids in 2013 when that ubiquitous catchy little song, "What does the fox say?” got stuck in my head and I started to sing it on the subway, while dancing.

If your kids are not yet teenagers, you’ll see that the embarrassing moments with mom or dad seem to increase with age.

And then (at least I’m hoping) they become some of your kids' favorite childhood memories.

All of that to say, keep being silly.

Back to the fox... I began to wonder, hmmm...what does the fox actually say? We hear dogs bark, cats meow, horses neigh, and pigs do their thing.

I remember playing with my kids as toddlers and was always stumped by what sound the camel makes.

But I never thought about the fox.

So I looked it up.

In Norway, fox is slang for marijuana. Hence, the song. But since I’m in NYC, I’m going to go with this:

The fox has a raspy bark but it’s only intended to communicate with other foxes. Not us.

It’s nothing we humans can understand.

I found so much meaning in this randomness that I decided to make the fox our January animal messenger (in addition to the fact that I happen to see one live last week and it appeared as mischievous as the ones I remember reading about in my childhood storybooks).

But, as you know, every month for our animal search game, I always go deeper to find additional meaning about our animals.

Reading about the fox left me with three lessons I want to share with you.

First, just because you aren’t expressing something, doesn’t mean you aren’t feeling something.

Communication is the absolute key to strengthening relationships, but silence is also a conversation. Where do you fall? Are you holding a difficult conversation inside? Do you need support in processing it all before letting it out?

Second, I discovered a quote by a Zimbabwean-born author who said, “The early bird gets the worm, and the early fox gets the bird.”

How true is that? As I focus on some of my own resolutions for the new year (or even just to help me through January), I’m determined to get up earlier to find renewed focus.

Like the fox.

Third, we know the fox carries a mischievous nature but think that one through. This also means cleverness, playfulness, even silliness.

Sort of like my embarrassing song and dance on the subway many years ago (even though I had no idea it was a song about Norwegian weed).

So lighten up this January. Make your resolutions doable, try to be a bit more playful, and focus on what will bring more JOY to your life.

Your life, not someone else’s.

Happy searching!

With fierce love,
Alison