Merry Christmas + A New Holiday

In the midst of so many holidays:  Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas and New Year’s, I’ve decided to add another one just for fun.  I’m going to call it:  “Tell Someone You Love Them” Day.  Of course you can say it to your spouse or kids or grandkids, but how about reaching out to people like your favorite teacher, or good friend, or honest mechanic?

How many times a week do you say “I love you?”  I say it to someone every day (or at least to my cats!)  If you live alone and feel somewhat isolated, don’t hesitate to look in the mirror and say: “I love you” to yourself.  If you feel awkward or silly, you can always tap:

Even though I feel foolish saying “I love you” to myself, I’m going to try it anyway…

Then you could try Carol Look’s technique of alternating positive and negative reactions with each tapping point.  While looking in the mirror, you could tap and say:

EYEBROW:                          I love you.

SIDE OF EYE:                     No, I don’t!

UNDER EYE:                       I love you.

UNDER NOSE:                    Don’t be ridiculous!             

CHIN:                                    I love you.

COLLARBONE:                  Look at my fat cheeks!

UNDER ARM:                     I love you.

UNDER BREAST:               No, I don’t!

WRISTS:                               I love you.

TOP OF HEAD:                   I really do love you!

I’m going to call this a “floating holiday.”  You can wake up in the morning and declare:  “Today is my Tell Someone You Love Them holiday.”  Go to the mirror, kiss the glass and say:  I love you!

Then call your Great Aunt Zelda and say:  “Maybe I’ve never said this before, but I just want you to know that I love you!”

You could be done for the day, but you might want to branch out.  Could I really say “I love you” to people in the elevator at work?  Would people think I was crazy?  Maybe I could show love by paying someone’s toll behind me at a toll booth, or letting people get ahead of me in traffic, or at the grocery store.

Try it.  The idea for this “new holiday” came to me when I visited my Mom in the nursing home this week.  At 93, she goes in and out of dementia and sometimes gets very frustrated that she can’t remember things.  Mom was always the kind of person who didn’t easily say “I love you.”  As a child, I longed for those words from her.

This week, she said to me:  I have so much trouble remembering things, but I always remember that I love you!

So, have a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday season.  And just to round out this New Holiday I have created (and decided to celebrate today), I want each and every one of my faithful readers to know:  I love you!

Blessings,

Kiya