Celebrate in the here and now

Recently I was asked to do a video presentation, created from special family photos. It was a special birthday celebration for a woman who was a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt and best friend to so many people. Everyone in her life took time to gather their special photos and plan an event to celebrate her birthday with her.

We had about 50 photographs and set them to the Nat King Cole song "Unforgettable".  It was a beautiful video of a beautiful life and woman. The fabulous part about everything is that her family was celebrating with her, and not after she was gone. This was a birthday party and a time to rejoice. Her family found the time in their busy lives to come together and celebrate in the here and now.

That was a great reminder to me to celebrate my friendships and loved ones in the here and now. Regardless of how corny it sounds, when was the last time you told your own mother that you loved her?

With Mother's Day around the corner most people feel obligated to buy a gift, make a phone call or take Mom out to dinner. But what if you did these things and it WASN'T Mother's Day? What if you took Mom shopping and bought her a new purse, or carried her groceries to the car, or what if you took her down to the jewellery store and had her rings professionally cleaned for her? What if you did something that made her eyes sparkle? What if it wasn't Mother's Day?  Would she know for certain that you loved her? You bet she would.

In the same mindset, I remind my best friend as often as I can that she is my BFF and why. We've had some great times together and have more great times to come. It's a relationship, like any other that needs work and maintenance to stay strong.

You can apply the same effort and standards to all your important relationships - with your children, your neighbours, your employer and the people you rely on. Find a way to celebrate in the here and now. If you bake some cookies, share them with your neighbours or your kids' friends. Share a laugh. Celebrate in the here and now.

September Travel

Kids are back in school. The weather is still gorgeous. Could there be a better time to travel?  Is it time for a road trip across the midwest? A cruise to Alaska? A flight to Paris in the fall?

The Caribbean is always on my mind, and though I have been there in July and August, I would hesitate to go in September. September & October and prime hurricane months. If you are on a cruise ship, rest assured that the ever present technology will be able to re-route you safely and quickly out of harms way. However, the same can not be said about being on land. Hurricane prone areas are used to the 'shelter-in-place" model to ride out the storm. However do you really want to be stressing in a hotel room when you would rather be sunning on the beach?

What about Disneyland in September? I think this would be an ideal time to take a pre-schooler.

What will you be doing this September when the school bell rings? Time to start your planning today.

Encouragement

Encouragement costs you nothing but it can mean a whole lot to the recipient. When was the last time you said, "great work today" to your employee, or co-worker, or even your own child? Was it today? Was it yesterday? If you can't pin point the moment, it's been too long.

What if you told the gas jockey that washed your windows that he did a great job and that washing your windows on this slushy, dirty spring day, really helped you out. Do you think he might remember your words? Do you think it might help him get through the next 5 hours of his 8 hour shift pumping gas?

What if you said the same thing to your dentist? "Thanks for doing a great job on that filling. My tooth doesn't hurt anymore and I'm going to enjoy eating a meal once again."

What if we were all openly, expressively grateful for the little things that make our lives easier? Or just thankful for the people in our lives who make a difference.  What if...