In the rush to create a positive and memorable holiday experience, we can easily forget to have a Happy Now. I have to thank Ariel Bravy, a friend and Reiki colleague, for this reminder. He posted a message on his Facebook page, ending with the wish to have a “Happy New Year. Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah. Happy Kwanzaa. Happy Festivus. Happy Holidays. and Happy Now. 
“ I was so tickled by it that I replied back saying Happy Now is my favorite holiday because I can celebrate it any time.
While this may not always feel functionally true for me, I do think it’s a good mindfulness practice to follow daily. We all have challenges in our lives – emotional, physical, spiritual or financial – and some days it can feel like a struggle just to get out of bed, much less feel happy about anything.
I started a gratitude practice in the shower in the mornings, since that’s about the only time during the day where I can pretty much guarantee I have some quiet, reflective time. I express thanks to God for all the abundance that I do have, as well as for the issues and challenges that help me grow emotionally, physically and spiritually. I find that it generally does help orient me towards a positive frame of mind with which to tackle the rest of the day. That doesn’t mean every day is one tiptoe through the tulips after another, but it feels like a more secure foundation to start things off than if I just rolled out of bed and poured myself a cup of bitterness (sipped through clenched teeth) as I was wont to do years ago.
I was talking to my mother yesterday about Christmas. She lives in New York and I live in Atlanta, so we usually do not get to spend the holidays together. She was telling me how she and Dad didn’t really have any plans to spend Christmas with anyone in particular this year. Now that I’m a mother, I have this tendency to want to mother other people, so my response was to suggest possible options: “Why don’t you see what So-and-So is doing?” She just shrugged it off and replied, “I’m just happy to be here this Christmas.” A very simple, yet astounding statement. Mom had a near-fatal prescription drug interaction in January, and was hospitalized for five months. She was on life support for weeks and initially her prognosis was very guarded. She has made a remarkable recovery (her new nickname is “Wonder Woman”) and although some days are physically and emotionally challenging, she has been expressing a renewed appreciation for the little things – as well for as the bigger picture. This appreciation is the cornerstone of her healing process, just as it has been for me in my own life.
Having and expressing gratitude, appreciating the abundance you do possess (a loving family, a roof over one’s head, a job or merely the fact that you’re still alive) and finding moments during each day to savor here and now are the keys to creating Happy Now, the holiday you can celebrate anytime, anywhere. No long lines at the mall, no cancelled flights at the airport or traffic on the freeway, no pressure to find the perfect outfit. Just you and the words “thank you” on your lips and in your heart.
Happy now?
Yes, Happy Now!
dana | 
12 30th, 2008| 