Children have the knack of enjoying each day, making it special because there are always new things to see and learn. Our granddaughter Miranda has always enjoyed music. Even as a baby she would bounce and sway to music. When she could walk, she would dance. It made her happy and still does.
"Children dance before they learn there is anything that isn't music"
We tend to celebrate major milestones, as well we should, but what about the minor ones. Did you just have your best golf game ever; did your child learn to ride his two wheeler; did you buy your first new car; or how about you just had the nicest Tuesday in a long time. We shouldn't save our nice things for special occasions. What's the point of having them if you don't enjoy them. The same goes for our days. Yes, some days are not so good, maybe down right horrible, all the more reason to celebrate when a really good day comes along.
I buy Miranda a holiday dress each year before Thanksgiving. One year I was visiting and had given her the holiday dress, so her mother bought her some nice shoes to go with it. When Casie came home with the shoes Miranda exclaimed, "Oh, now I have my celebrating shoes."
Miranda in her celebrating shoes
Everyone should have a pair of celebrating shoes. It doesn't matter what they look like. Maybe they're tennis shoes and you go for a hike or a run. Maybe they're flip flops and you go to the beach, lake or a picnic. They can be any kind of shoe in which you do something you enjoy, because enjoying life in big or small ways is celebrating life. So go put on your celebrating shoes and dance like no one is watching.
Miranda still enjoying dance
A thought to ponder: Happiness is not about getting there; it's about being here. Robert Holden
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ReplyDeleteI read this post with the song "Cel-e-brate good times, COME ON!" playing in my head! :-)
ReplyDeleteI can remember how as a kid, the simplest thing could be so special. Like if my parents decided to go shopping at NIGHT, and took me WITH them! :-) I'm sure having to go to Sears after dark was a pain in the butt for them, but it was a big, exciting, celebratory deal for me. I still can still derive a lot of fun and pleasure from simple things, but it's amazing how much growing up can wear us down.
We had neighbors when I was in 7th-9th grade who had a daughter my age, and who also had white wall-to-wall carpeting in their living room that no one was allowed to walk on. We had to take our shoes off at their front door, of course, and if we HAD to walk through the living room to get somewhere else in the house, we had to tiptoe along the walls! And all their LR furniture was covered in sheets, and no one was allowed to sit on it. I asked their daughter once what the bloody point of it all was, and she said the living room was saved for "company." That's just neurotic (especially since I don't ever remember them having any company!)
When my mom gave us her sterling silver as a wedding gift, we decided to use it as our everyday silverware. Yeah, we have to wash it by hand, dry it right away, and polish it every now and then - but it's so pretty, there seemed to be no point in hiding it away for a "special" occasion.
Miranda is so cute, I love how she beams that big smile and loves to dance! And your quote about happiness is wonderful! As is your reminder in this post that so many moments are special occasions, worthy of celebration! (Like enjoying a special cup of coffee in the mornings, thanks to a gift from special friends!) :-)
I forgot about that song, I could have added it to the end of my post. I had a friend in high school who's home was also like your friends. Except they put a plastic runner over the carpet and plastic on all the furniture. We didn't hang out there much, spent more time at my house where you could actually live in any room of the house.
DeleteMiranda does love her dancing,but now she also has the acting bug. She did a theater camp this summer and they did "Annie", she had second lead. She loved it, so she's trying out for another play this fall.
Glad your enjoying the coffee, and not saving it for a special occasion. Rather making the day special with the coffee.:-)
It's never too late to add goodies to your posts. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd perhaps it's not too early to be figuring out what to wear to the Oscars or Tonies! Sounds like a star was born, and given that she already lives near LA… :-)
Our house was always clean and usually tidy (except for the various projects going on), and very livable. I want to feel hugged when I walk into a house, not feel like there should be velvet ropes, surveillance cameras, and armed security guards making sure I don't step on, sit on, or touch anything!!
On those special mornings when BW brews a pot of the coffee, he makes enough so we can each have a morning mug, then chills the rest for whipping up a batch of iced coffee on hot afternoons. Yum! We enjoyed some this morning and tomorrow we plan to enjoy the chilled version on the front porch!