Could You Create a Holiday?
How about we celebrate Stress-free Day?
A writer for the Challenged (Nancy, is that you?) asked, “Tired of love? If you could invent a new holiday, what would it celebrate and what would people do on that day?”
Holidays are meant to be special. Some holidays are never meant to be.
Welcome to “Stress-free” Day. Today is our opportunity to feel life’s events roll off our backs and for them to be seen in a positive light. Many could say that with everything horrifying going on in the world, how could we cast stress aside? Call me naïve, and perhaps I am, but I’ve learned that problem-solving, coping mechanisms, and healthy reflection come best when we are in a love-based state of mind.
It’s only one day.
Couldn’t we manage a day where we don’t get in our own way, nor does anyone else?
On Stress-free day, the weather wouldn’t matter. We would view others' belligerence for what it is — their problem, not ours- but because problems don’t exist on stress-free days, people would shine and revel in positive moods. Bills could wait one more day. Traffic wouldn’t feel like an issue.
The world would stop, take a pause, and live in a moment of peace and tranquillity. Children would laugh and play on this day when no harm could affect them. Food would be available in abundance; money would suddenly grow on trees. However, bills would only fall into the hands of those who hadn’t yet received them, giving everyone their equal share.
On Stress-free day, the body would work at its optimum, letting each of us enjoy vibrancy, health, and longevity as cells repaired themselves, blood cleansed itself, and disease dissipated until it no longer existed.
Welcome to my fantasy world.
On Stress-free day, we would have a choice whether we want to spend all day in bed, or cuddling with a romantic loved one, engaging with friends and family, or enjoying our time alone. Anxiety doesn’t exist, nor do expectations. It’s a time to rediscover self-love and to find inspiration in everything we do and how we see the world.
It’s alright to let our hair down. We’re allowed to praise ourselves for who we are. We can breathe deeply, romanticize a beautiful life, and imagine the life we wish to fulfill. Dreaming is the gift we give ourselves on this holiday because if we want to get there, we first need to envision it.
Stress-free Day is a holiday that I’d like to see happen every day. The trouble with it happening only once a year would be the devastating days that would follow when the stress, hardships, and reality returned.
The fallout could be catastrophic.
Perhaps it’s a holiday that society should forego, and in the meantime, we must minimize our stress daily while keeping others’ well-being in mind.
If you’re looking for this month’s prompts, The Challenged’s got you covered.
Here are the participants and supporters of the pub’s challenges. Please show their stories some love. (Please let me know if you want your name removed from or added to the list. Either is easy to do, per your request. All you need to do is ask in the comments or a note.)
Adrienne Beaumont, NancyO, Randy Pulley, The Sturg, Harry Hogg, Susie Winfield, Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, Trisha Faye, Bernie Pullen, Michelle Jimerson Morris, Paula Shablo, Brandon Ellrich, Ravyne Hawke, Pat Romito LaPointe, Karen Hoffman, Vincent Pisano, Michael Rhodes, Bruce Coulter, Rachella Angel Page, Pluto Wolnosci 🟣, Lisa Guard, Dixie Dodd, Adrian CDTPPW, Leigh-Anne Dennison, barry robinson, Jerry Dwyer, Jennifer Dunne, Lynn L. Alexander, Keeley Schroder, Julia A. Keirns, Ruby Noir 😈, Emma Vincent, Frances A. Chiu, John Welford, Deborah Joyce Goodwin (Red:The-Lady In Blue), Misty Rae, Jessica Morgan, Tooth Truth Roopa Vikesh, Patricia Timmermans, Maria Rattray, John Hua Technology ☕️, John Hansen, Linda Fode, Zaq Cass, Eva MacInnes