What’s to Celebrate? February, of Course! : BouncebackCafe.com

What’s to Celebrate? February, of Course!

February 17, 2010 - Posted by Ellie

photo credit: psd

In this wintery month of February, what can you pause to celebrate?

Well, if you expected this to be another post about procrastination then you may be surprised to learn that, ironically, I’ve postponed it – I’d forgotten about Valentine’s Day and couldn’t let the holiday go by without this wee bit of a hurrah. More on procrastination is ready to roll, just not today, nor tomorrow either. Watch for it… and in the meantime, let’s celebrate February!

In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.

— Albert Camus

February’s upon us… and this 2010 version of the second month roared in with the winter madness of an El Nino year – we’ve endured blizzards, rainstorms, floods and mudslides, just to name a few of the weather challenges so far. It’s been a cold, cold winter since the exuberance of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza and New Years Day. Some (many?) among us are feeling the winter doldrums. While we wait for spring to be sprung, we need something to celebrate – something that will distract us from all our weather (and other) woes. And so I say, let’s celebrate February!

Yes, let’s give a nod to the most recent of February holidays, Valentine’s Day which invited us to be creatively loving and generous. Lovers love it. Parents encourage it. Children, well they probably love/hate it depending upon whether they’re one of the popular ones. (Or whether their Mom & Dad smother them with Valentines!) But, like it or not, sending flowers, candy and/or greetings are de rigueur for this holiday. Thus, retailers love it! Still, all in all, it gives us a great opportunity to remind the people we love that they are wonderful blessings in our lives.

Anyway, Valentine’s Day got me to thinking about holidays in general and February in particular.

Why February???

Well, for starters, did you know that February’s been designated as Women’s Healthy Heart Month? It’s a good time to get going on keeping our hearts healthy – besides eating well and exercising more, let’s find ways to nourish our whole selves: body, mind and soul. Have a heart, take care of yourself!

Surprisingly, February is filled with many other fun holidays. This shortest month of the year includes not only Valentine’s Day, but, to name the most recognized of February holidays, U.S. President’s Days, Super Bowl Sunday, Mardi Gras, Chinese New Year and, every four years, Leap Day.

But I was surprised to learn that in the month of February we also have the following lesser known celebration opportunities:

Groundhog Day, 2/2: You can watch the movie of the same name, over and over…

Create a Vacuum Day, 2/4: I’m sorry I missed this one. On second thought, celebrate it any day that’s feeling kind of empty – the weird and interesting celebratory experiment will definitely create some excitement. Let me know if you have the guts to try it out!

Western Monarch Day, 2/5: Celebrates beautiful butterflies and the migratory journey they wing… a metaphor of transformation and persistence. Be brave, winter will be over soon.

Clean Out Your Computer Day, 2/8: Oops, I missed that one too. It’s a day dedicated to computer de-cluttering. Darn! There’s always something else that needs de-cluttering.

Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk Day, 2/11: I once read a comment from a scientist who attributed his professional success to his Mom. To explain how she encouraged his creativity and diligent exploration of interesting phenomena, he told this story: Despite her warnings not to, he poured his own glass of milk from a gallon jug and, of course, dumped milk all over the floor. (You knew that was coming.) His mom (she must be a saint!) simply said, “Well as long as it’s all over the floor, let’s have some fun with it and then I’ll show you how to clean it up.” (I pray every day for that kind of coolness in the midst of chaos. I’m working on it, but it don’t come easy.)

Random Acts of Kindness Day, 2/17: This looks like an everyday, life-time project we could all get behind!

Hoodie-Hoo Day, 2/20: On this day, you are supposed to go outside and shout “Hoodie-hoo!” to scare away Winter and make way for Spring! Why not? It could work…Take a look at how one small town in the Northern Hemisphere celebrates this holiday… Let’s have a parade!

Love Your Pet Day, 2/21: Even if it’s an OP – Other People’s pet.

Be Humble Day and World Thinking Day, 2/22: Now those are two great ideas – But please don’t ask me to eat humble pie! And a whole day devoted to thinking. – That’s almost as good as reading a good book so I’ll think on that, I will.

No-Brainer Day, 2/27: This is a day for all of us out there who, upon recognizing the blindingly obvious, must repeatedly say to ourselves, “Duh!”

Public Sleeping Day, 2/28: Ok, I think I’ll stay home for this one!

All in all, I think February offers plenty of opportunities to celebrate while we await the harbingers of Spring. Take care of yourself and enjoy every day that comes your way: