Practitioner: Charlie
Problem: There are times when people are blue, down
in the dumps or just have a hard time getting it going. It happens frequently
in the middle of winter, especially if there have been many days without
sunshine. Although there might not be
any particular cause for this general malaise, you feel like you have a
500-pound weight hanging around your neck dragging you down. Something has weakened the spirit of the
family and it must be restored.
Prelude: When people are emotionally down it is
analogous to a car with a weak battery.
Even if your car has been running and starting just fine for a long
time, if it gets really cold overnight or if you left the lights on and you try
to start it, the starter just grinds because there is not enough power to turn
it over - it is just flat out, worn down and will not go. Families can get like that, just kind of worn
down. With a car you can get another car
to give you a boost or jump-start and you’ll be going again in almost no
time. That’s what the April 4th
time to celebrate prescription is all about! It is a jump-start to re-energize
your family, to perk them up and get them started and on the way again.
Another way to think about this is when you have the
creeping crud and the doctor gives you a shot of penicillin and almost
immediately you start to feel better.
That is what the “ Time to Celebrate” is designed for – that quick boost
to get you out of the drums (the doldrums and the humdrums that is) and back
into the game of life.
There is some type of universal corollary that I’ve
witnessed over the years that goes like this, “If you are happy, it’s hard to
be sad.” No rocket science to that
observation, these are not completely mutually exclusive events but there is
more truth than fiction to the statement that it’s hard to be sad when you are
happy. Therefore, the concept of a
little fun, levity or a break in the everyday, is a good way to eradicate some
of the sad.
Prescription: Find or make up some reason to break
through the sluggishness that life has dealt you and have a little family
fun. This can be as impulsive as getting
in the car and going for a quick ice-cream at your family’s favorite place (for
added effect do this before dinner) or a planned activity like bringing a cake
home with candles, singing silly songs after dinner, blowing out the candles
with everyone making a wish and making a big deal out of anything that would
not normally be celebrated. You can
decorate the house; make up prizes like one day without chores for event
winners (work very hard to make everyone a winner of at least something in
these games) or a moratorium on something they dislike for a day. Events can be
as obtuse as celebrating ground-hog day with pictures of the furry little
beasts and contests to see who can best walk like one to the winter solstice
where everyone walks around in your swim suits and you have a make believe day
at the beach. Celebrate by eating a picnic on towels scattered about the living
room and sunbathing, reading, building sandcastles (substitute Lego blocks for
sand) and body surfing (if you have a tile or wooden floor dad can be the wave
and have the kids lay on their towels while he pulls them around through the
“surf”) or maybe you just make something up and go with it.
Another idea is to have a kitchen holiday where everyone
decides what they are going to eat (even if it is cookies and Coke) and does it
on disposal dishes and silverware so there are virtually no dishes to
clean. If Mom does the cooking she will
appreciate the break (although you will probably have to convince her that one
day of questionable nutrition will not have a life-long deleterious impact on
the family’s well being). You could also
choose a country to learn about and make a craft or dinner that depicts that
culture. The possibilities are endless.
If the weather permits and your family is large enough this
could be a romping good time in the back yard with three legged races, standing
on your heads or relay races. However,
there is nothing to say that this event must be restricted to your own
family. If you want to get out of the
box a little, invite a few neighbors to participate in the craziness and have
everyone bring a dish to pass. If you
live in a place like Michigan where there is not a lot of sunshine in the
winter months you definitely know how the blues can set in. So it’s a pretty good bet that if your family
has the “drums”, others do too. Make it
a “more the merrier” celebration. If you
are like me, the neighbors already think you’re a bit loony so why not have
some fun and share the wealth. Have fun,
laugh and break the blues while you make your own rules!