Yesterday I learned that a friend will be moving far away. And my thoughts have turned to planning a good-bye party, i.e. what kind of food we should fix and eat together our last time. This train of thought is totally appropriate in her case, as Katie herself always seemed to whip up wonderful celebrations at the drop of a hat.
She would welcome a friend home from a summer trip with a three-salad luncheon. Her solution to post-Christmas blues? An Epiphany potluck. Birthdays at her house meant balloons, candles, a banner, and favorite foods. To her notion, a hard day’s work deserved tea, scones, and strawberry jam in the afternoon. A surprise picnic would emerge from cloth bags when you thought we were all just going for a swim at the river.
Not a bad way to keep the everyday miracle of being alive at the forefront of your mind. Truly, most things, large or small, are worth celebrating. Even having family supper together should not be taken lightly—there is no guarantee that you will all be together again tomorrow.
Marking small accomplishments, as well as milestones and rites of passage, is an important tool in overcoming discouragement. For celebrants, a little pause in the daily grind brings welcome refreshment. So much of our work and home lives can seem like an endless battle with entropy—the stack of unanswered letters and bills overflows its folder; you just replaced the car battery and now the radiator needs flushing; the missing buttons are no sooner sewn back on their respective shirts when you notice your favorite socks are getting holes in the heels; audacious bugs leave spit marks on the newly washed curtains (not to mention the curtain rod bracket that keeps losing a nail, sending the same clean curtains down onto the floor).
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