Silly party hats, balloons, melted ice cream, pin the tail on the donkey. As children, it didn’t take much to create a celebration. What does it take today? Is it an “impossible to get” reservation at the newest restaurant? Something sparkly in a small box? Maybe champagne and caviar? While those do make for a special time (especially that something sparkly) things seem to have gotten mixed up somewhere along the way. It is as though the delight we feel comes from the celebration itself, rather than a celebration being an expression of our pleasure. Do you remember the expression “jump for joy?” When was the last time you actually did that?

Do you still delight in simple pleasures? Do you do a happy dance just because? Do you jump up and down and yell “Whoo-Hoo?” Do you sing at the top of your lungs? Do you laugh and laugh and laugh? Do you free yourself of your inhibitions and celebrate being in the moment?

Most young children would be able to answer yes to those questions. They have the gift of being able to delight in the sheer pleasure of life and the ability to express that with wholehearted, energetic and enthusiastic exuberance. Yes, we know you are no longer a child and things have changed. We know life is not as carefree as when you were young, that life is busy and stressful. But hope that in spite of it, we can inspire you to rediscover the child we believe is still a part of all of us.

We’re not suggesting silly party hats (unless you want to wear one), but we would like to propose you consider the words of Mark Twain: “Dance like nobody’s watching; love like you’ve never been hurt. Sing like nobody’s listening; live like it’s heaven on earth.”