How to enjoy the celebration as much as the accomplishment
School’s out! Last day, great report cards, and celebration beckons.
But, messages of hesitation and delay also filled my mind: We don’t need to spend the money on that. Maybe we could do something next weekend. A quiet night at home might be fine.
Running counter to my sense of hesitation, a strong value for celebration trumped the argument. Don’t delay celebration. My kids are only finishing 4th and 7th grades once. They have done well and I need to relish in the joy rather than squelch it.
So, as we have done for almost every last day of school, we headed to Hideaway Pizza in Edmond, OK. And, everyone enjoyed it! Here are 4 tips for making a celebration…at least a dinner celebration, a joy:
1. Identify the “why.” No long speeches (as these tend to kill the party). But, naming the reason you’re celebrating…this is good!
2. Invite everyone into the toast. Take a moment to let everyone chime in on what they’re proud of, why this is important, or how this experience has made a difference.
3. Savor the moment. Be in the moment mentally, emotionally, and physically. No phone calls, texting, or distraction overrides. When you are fully present, you are prone to sense the beauty of the people around you. Paradoxically, this profound sense of the present invites an appreciation for what got you here.
4. Laugh like you mean it. In the moment, stress evaporates and that deep contented smile is likely to burst into laughter at the least provocation. Let it be. You will not be here in this moment again.
You may not be finishing a school year, but perhaps it’s time for you to celebrate a good report, a successful work project completed, a significant responsibility fulfilled, or something else that’s at least worth a nice dinner celebration!
Worth Repeating
Dont’ postpone joy.
-H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
