Take a Holiday… Any Time.

July 4th, 2009

Today is the U.S. Independence Day and three days ago was Canada Day. Do you ever wonder how holidays got started? Well, holiday used to be short for Holy Days or the Saints' Days when people were not supposed to work and instead pay homage.

Though it was inconveniently in the middle of the week, Canada Day in Vancouver was a beautiful summer day. It had the Kodachrome saturated colors of summer, smiling faces, bright flags, the smell of BBQ, cheers, laughter, dancing and music. The moments sunk into my consciousness like a dream. Just a good day. When you think about how happy everyone is on a holiday, relieved from work and routine, it makes me believe they really are still Holy Days where we celebrate happiness and life itself. But sometimes holidays don’t time themselves very well for our own sacred wellbeing. And sometimes holidays themselves come with stresses and routines. So, when your heart and soul is crying out for a break, what are you going to do amid a busy work week to give yourself a holiday? Here are some of ideas I’ve collected to celebrate and pay homage to happiness always. So take a holiday any day of the week by trying one of these:

1) Offer someone more than their fair share of hugs today… ask anyone and become a FREE HUGS person. See You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3x_RRJdd4&feature=PlayList&p=31A99892D5AF7ED9&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=1

2) Create a simple, just-for-fun, art project, like a collage. Chop up some old magazines that you were going to recycle anyway. Invite a friend.

3) Remember something that you really used to enjoy doing and make plans to do it again soon.

4) Go into a convenience store and buy a comic book.

5) Rent one of your favourite movies that you’ve see a dozen times but could see a dozen more.

6) Make an unexpected long distance call.

7) Make a really nice dinner or desert for yourself or someone else, or both.

8) Buy someone some flowers out of the blue, or buy yourself some.

9) Pop some popcorn the old fashioned way (can use with #5).

10) Write an old fashioned snail mail letter to someone who will really appreciate it.

11) Move your body in the way that makes you happy… add music and we call it dancing.

12) Google what there is to drop in on tonight in your town and surprise yourself.

The possibilities are endless. Remember what Auntie Mame said, “Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving!” Live it up and celebrate every day.