So we are back from our trip to Great Wolf Lodge, the indoor water park where we enjoyed all the uninspired looking Pennsylvanian teens covered in inspirational tattoos (NEVER A FAILURE, ALWAYS A LESSON!) and their inappropriately drunk parents*, that come with the all-inclusive water park pass. We were upgraded, last minute, to the Vomit Package, that included my nine year-old covering the floor of our suite with half-digested chicken nuggets and smiley face fries at four in the morning.
Seriously, universe, what have I done to deserve this winter?
But today is a new day. In fact today is Mardi Gras, or if you want to be religious about it, Shrove Tuesday, the last day before Lent begins tomorrow. My kids and I mark this day by gorging on whatever we are giving up for Lent. H was obliging enough to stock me up and clear out the CVS of any marked down Valentine's chocolate. #2, giving up something for the first time, has consumed almost an entire box of Frosted Mini-wheats (she's giving up any kind of sugar cereal, and, sadly, that's as sugary as it gets around here), and #1 eye's are going to fall out from playing so much Wii. We also have pancakes for dinner since, as I learned two years ago, that's a traditional, Christian, Mardi Grasthing to do. I use it as an excuse to not cook and take the kids to IHOP. Thanks Jesus!
With Mardi Gras coming hard on the heels of V-Day, I got to thinking about these little holidays and how important they are. You hear a lot of people (mainly men), complaining about supposed "Hallmark holidays", occasions that didn't exist a hundred years ago and seem to have been created solely to sell greeting cards. While Mardi Gras can not be put into this category, being religiously necessitated partying, and all, others crowed about for their lack of meaning are, obviously, Valentine's Day, Mother's and Father's Day and St. Patrick's Day. Wel, St. Pat's is religious, but only in the most tangental way, to relieve our Catholic guilt over our binge drinking.
A major complaint of these holidays is the idea of being "forced" to express one's self on a specific day, when the persecuted claims to do so year 'round. First, I call bullshit. Really? How many of us regularly take our moms out for over-priced Eggs benedict and tell her how grateful we are for all she's done? We SHOULD, but we don't. Same goes for the other days. So why not take advantage of the reminders shoved in our faces via TV, and internet and ENJOY telling our significant other you're so glad she still puts up with your nonsense and/or he still thinks you're attractive despite the fact you sleep with a wrinkle-preventing sticker on your forehead every night? Second, stop being such a non-conformist pill and get on board. If it were National Be Mean to Someone Day, I'd understand opting out. If yo're complaining over an opportunity to be nice to someone, you have a problem.
The real reason I love these celebrations is because they are what make life fun, and in the bleak days of mid-winter, where every day seems a carbon copy of the day previous, bearable. Just another winter Tuesday, becomes a special day to have chocolate chip pancakes for dinner and a few laughs. Isn't it nice to have little things to be excited about, even if it's hanging up plastic shamrocks and making soda bread? What' wrong with getting excited over the litte things? The Super Bowl, the Oscars, May Day, summer and winter solstice - why not use them as an excuse to have a party or at least a glass fo wine?
Life is too short to be boring. If it's possible, why can't every day, be a celebration of something?
,
*Just because they serve alcohol at a water park, it doesn't turn it into a NASCAR tailgate. It's called self control people.
1 comment:
Cheers to that. Any excuse to have a party. Heck, we throw a party just because my sister-in-law and her husband come into town. That's at least one a month. We know how to have fun in our house.
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