Mom Says: My Mother in Law is a wise woman. (& I’m not just saying that cause I know she reads our blog).
I’m saying it because she taught me a concept so powerful that it fundamentally changed the way I view life.
Changed the way I set up expectations, helped me let go when I was upset, helped me NOT get upset and it set me free.
She taught me The Moveable Feast.
As we enter into the mayhem of Christmas, I have a number of friends who’s Christmas plans are not exactly shaping up how they were supposed to. People can’t make it, someone is sick, someone is hurt, someone has passed away. Life happens. But when you have your mind set on Christmas dinner with the family, nothing can be more heartbreaking that not having them there.
Take a step back.
Change the way you look at the “event” of Christmas and ask yourself,
“Would this be just as special if we didn’t celebrate it right on Christmas Day?”
The answer is yes.
It’s the people that you are with that should matter most, not the event itself.
Although it was great at the time, (we got married July 2nd), we didn’t realize how silly it would become to expect to celebrate our anniversary on the actual day of our anniversary. July long weekend is a guarantee up at the cottage and for 10 years now, a guarantee for a lot of people around.l It doesn’t quite spell the romantic ideal of an anniversary dinner or date.

The Moveable Feast became our saving grace. It’s recognizing the day of the event isn’t important. What is important is simply making time TO celebrate at some point. With that, we have sometimes celebrated our anniversary 3 months later. Sometimes the next week. It makes it more casual yes, but it also allows us to strip away the pomp & circumstance of the day. To concentrate what is important. To celebrate us.

If things aren’t working out 100% this holiday season, just think about the Moveable Feast. It might just save Christmas.
Dad Says: Ok, here’s a little secret I have to share. I am calendar deficient. I would make the worst witness for the big trial…where were you the night of the 15th? I have no idea. Literally. Unless there is picture evidence or a grand event to remind me, I just don’t associate happenings with days.
So when this concept was introduced into my life, I was more than happy. I know the history of my mom’s idea: she has a birthday that far too often gets overshadowed by international holiday celebrations. She wasn’t going to be able to move the holiday, so she moved her birthday. First, it was just a few days here or there. Then, for her 50th, she moved it 6 months. Seriously. Just picked it up because it worked better for her. And this life lesson has certainly served us well.
We have been able to manoeuvre through life focusing on the reason not the date. This is fantastic, as you are able to step back from societal demands and look to your own reason for celebrating, and I think that quite often you will find a bigger reason to raise a glass.
Cheers all.
