PPP Day 13: Re-Writing the Calendar

    I am constantly amazed at the number of people who are managed by their calendar, rather than managing their calendar. I was, thankfully, brought up in a family where that was not the case. Dates were a more fluid concept. We celebrate the birthday *month* in our family (And don't be mislead, there are a lot of us, I have seven siblings!) and there was more than one year that we celebrated Valentine's after February 14th. You get to use all the fun clearance stuff! There was even one year, when I was very young, that we celebrated Christmas with our extended family in the summer. It was in July or August-complete with a white Christmas tree purchased by my grandparents! All this to say: if you are celebrating, don't get stuck on a specific day.

    We are all very busy. And sometimes it just doesn't work to have a party the weekend before or after someone's birthday. Or a shower before the baby arrives. Or make a gingerbread house before Christmas. Which is preferable? A calm, well-planned get together, or a harried, hurried, frenzied party to just be a slave to a calendar number? I would say the former. I had to laugh when I saw this verse during my Bible reading this week:

"Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites: ‘When any of you or your descendants are unclean because of a dead body or are away on a journey, they are still to celebrate the Lord’s Passover, but they are to do it on the fourteenth day of the second month at twilight. They are to eat the lamb, together with unleavened bread and bitter herbs." Numbers 9:9a-11

     The Lord understands that sometimes we just can't "get to" celebrating right away! He planned Passover for the 14th of the first month (April) of the Jewish religious calendar. But He made a special provision for those who couldn't observe it then, for either reasons of uncleanliness, or need to be away, so that they could still celebrate, just on the 14th of the next month!

     I kind of figure if it is okay for the Lord to do that, then it is good enough for me. Carson broke his arm the week of his third birthday. I put off his party until the next month because I didn't want him to celebrate with his cast on! I do not regret that decision at all.  We dye Easter eggs almost every year on the Monday *after* Easter! It is just so much more relaxed and fun not trying to squeeze it in on top of everything else. Besides, there is always that post-holiday let down, and saving one or two fun things for afterwards help to soften the blow.

     So, if a particular event falls at a not-so-great time, just move it! A new mom will probably appreciate a post-baby shower just as much, and everyone else will love getting to hold the new baby! A young child won't care that their birthday celebration is a month (or maybe even more!) late, they will just be ecstatic to have a party all about them. Joel was just telling me today that his mom often had a party for him in October-and his birthday is in July-because most of his friends were away on vacation for the actual day.

Just consider it to be prolonging the celebration. Don't get hung up on dates-do what works for you! That will make it a "perfect party". And be sure to invite me if you are having Christmas in July.;)

 This is Day 13 of "31 Days of Perfect Party Planning". Find the rest of the series here.