What special days are in your calendar?
We wonder, what special days do you celebrate? There are many special days. However, we probably only note a few of them. We celebrate when the big ones come, like birthdays, religious holidays, days that honor mothers and fathers, 4th of July, Thanksgiving and more. Those days are wonderful to remember. We take pictures so we can spend time re-living and cherishing them. Besides the days we mentioned, you might be surprised about other days that are designated as special days.
Here are just a few in May. May 12th is International Nurses Day. That’s a very important day. Nurses and all care givers deserve recognition. They have persevered and helped us through difficult times, especially over the last couple of years with the many challenges. A big thank you will never be enough for their dedicated service. We appreciate you!
We’ve found appropriate ways to celebrate on some holidays and meaningful days. But what do we do on some unusual special days, like Friday the 13th. How do we celebrate that one? If people are superstitious they may avoid doing things on Friday the 13th for fear that they could have bad luck. Yet for others, the number 13 is a lucky number, so they choose to celebrate by doing more things because they expect good outcomes.
When it’s the first Friday the 13th of the year, it’s also known as Blame Someone Else Day. Now that’s a doozie, isn’t it? A day to celebrate when we don’t have to take responsibility for something we did, and very conveniently we can just blame someone else. Somehow, when we don’t take ownership of what we do, we can’t see how this will help our lives get better. It’s not always easy to do, but we know it takes courage and leadership to admit mistakes, learn from them and go on and do better. So, even though it’s an unusual day, on May 13th we won’t be celebrating Blame Someone Else Day!
Now, here’s another unusual, special day that’s noted on May 13th. It’s Frog Jumping Day! Can you imagine! One place this day is celebrated is in Angels Camp, California, at the Calaveras County Fair. It’s called the Frog Jumping Jubilee. It began in 1928 and was based on an 1865 story that Mark Twain told. Twain, who once called Angels Camp home, wrote about a gambler and his jumping frog. In the Frog Jumping Jubilee there are prizes for the winner whose frog jumps the longest distance. It’s interesting to see how people “encourage” their frog and how some frogs respond and others just sit there. In 1986, Lee Giudici and his frog, aptly named Rosie the Ribiter, set the world’s record of 21 feet, 5.75 inches from a total of three jumps. Frog Jumping Day, what an unusual and fun, special day! We wonder how fun it is for the frogs.
So you see that people have named several days as special days. What we realize is that actually every day is a special day. We say each day is a gift! The Bible says, “This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24. Let’s look at ways to help make every day special.
One way to feel every day is special is to practice gratitude. That’s not always easy to do, either. Maybe the weather is bad, you don’t feel so good, you got some bad news and things don’t seem to be going your way, it’s hard to be grateful. Yes, now’s the time to dig deep for things that we sometimes take for granted. Can I see, hear, feel, move? Can I read, understand, think, and learn? Be grateful for what I can do.
Next, when I have good relationships, then days can be more special. If I’m lonely, who could I talk to? How can I make a new friend or call or write to an old friend? Who can I smile at or listen to? These actions will help me be less lonely and will also help others.
Alice Morse Earle said, “Every day may not be good, but there’s something good in every day.” Another way to make a day special, even in the midst of challenges, is to find purpose. What causes do I want to support and where can I volunteer?
What about you? To make each day special, we encourage you to use the ways we suggested to reconnect with gratitude, good relationships and purpose. Remember, each day is special – it’s a gift!
Chanhassen MN residents, Doug and Lynn Nodland are success coaches and owners of The Balance Center in Excelsior. Contact them at WeCare@SharingLifesLessons.com
© Doug and Lynn Nodland 2022 Articles and videos may be shared in their entirety with attribution.
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