We Need A Little Christmas ...

Celebrate Every Day

Life has suddenly become so stress-filled for so many of us.

We find ourselves wondering, each day, how we will survive financially, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

Challenges, that we may once have invited as avenues to make us stronger, suddenly invite anger, depression, escapism, and spiritual death.

In order to maintain a balance of our love and appreciation of life, we need to celebrate each day and invite happiness to prevail over our trials.

We all know someone who keeps plastic covers on his or her sofa in order to protect it.

The irony here is that many of these people may live their lives without ever having actually made contact with their own furniture! This is a poignant and somewhat humorous example of the human tendency to try to save things for special occasions, as if everyday life weren't special enough to warrant the use of nice things.

Many of us have had the experience of never wearing a particular piece of clothing in order to keep it nice, only to have it go out of style or outgrow it in the meanwhile.

I remember when we purchased our good silver. It was beyond our financial means 20 years ago, but we wanted to establish some sort of a heritage. Interestingly, once we chose a pattern and committed ourselves to the purchase, the sales associate immediately began to sell us items in which to store away our accomplishment to keep it safe from the effects of sunlight and oxygen.

Why?

I have a friend who uses her silver and crystal daily. Meanwhile, our silver is packed up and too tarnished to be bothered with.

It's interesting to think of what it would mean to us if we let ourselves wear our nicest clothes and eat off the good china with our silver and crystal on a daily basis. We might be sending ourselves the message that every day we are alive is a special day and a cause for celebration, and that we are worth it.

There is something uplifting about treating ourselves to the finest of what we have. It is as if we rise to the occasion when we wear our best clothes and set the table beautifully, as if for a very special guest.

We are more mindful of where we place things, what we are eating, and who is with us. Using the good china, taking a meal at the Dining Room table, and taking the plastic off the sofa might just be an invitation for us be more conscious of the beauty and grace which is inherent in our everyday lives.

If there are things we've stashed away for a special occasion --a bottle of special wine, a new pair of shoes, an antique lace tablecloth -- we need to consider taking them out of their hiding places and putting them to use today or tonight ... just because we are alive now to enjoy them.

What better cause is there for celebration?

So ... dress in your finest, behave at your giddiest, break out the finest of all, invite your loved owns over for a spontaneous party.

In the words of Auntie Mame; "We need a little Christmas, right this very minute ..."

With love & light,

Rob