A New Way to Celebrate

Jul 23

Holidays vary in practice and traditions across the globe but are universally regarded as designated days for celebration. For some, a holiday might taste like rich chocolate cake and warm smiles from family and friends. For others, a holiday can mean taking an entire day to fix and devour a great feast in preparation for a lengthy fast.

Fireworks and streamers make for a delightful get-together, but even more so does the company in which we keep. Think about your family- who lights up the room with their laughter? Who shares the ridiculous stories? We can decorate our homes with as many streamers as we’d like, but it’s genuinely the company we invite along who makes the party great.

During camp New Delhi, one camper became inspired by one of TaleTree’s weekly challenges. This weekly challenge encouraged campers to develop their own national holiday and what they would like to celebrate. The camper reminded us how important it is to celebrate people- and not only limited to those we love.

Our camper had created her very own “Kindness to Strangers Day”! Amongst her revelation to her peers, the children immediately indulged in excited chatter about their newest holiday. “I would give people money!” one child exclaimed. “I would smile at others,” said another in response.

I don’t think anyone would become agitated if a child were to flash them a smile and hand them some cash; however, camp captains were sure to establish the true essence of kindness: it does not cost any form of currency to be kind. In fact, being kind to others can be mentally beneficial to others, including the self. Being kind to others can aid in creating increasingly relaxed and accepting home or working environments, which will cultivate more space for creativity and self-expression. In other words, when we are kind, we are giving others a chance to relax and create a safe space for all.

Just like our camper was inspired by one of TaleTree’s many weekly challenges- I have a challenge for you. Choose one day this week when you will celebrate kindness to a stranger. This can be as simple as giving a smile, opening a door, or helping someone back up as they fall. After you’ve committed your act of kindness, I challenge you to reflect on how the action made you feel and continue to be kind for the rest of your days. When you succeed, it might go like this: Wake up. Be Kind. Reflect. Repeat.

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” - Aesop

A Place You’ve Never Been

We’ve all imagined it- a place high above us in the clouds. The sun is shining, the air is light, and humans can walk amongst the fluffiness in the sky. Here is what our children imagine in this scenario.

“Crafting each day keeps the crazy away”

I feel like plenty of us can relate to a time where we all were cooped up inside of our homes with nothing to do… It’s times like these when getting crafty certainly comes in handy!

Past or Future?

Ok, this one might not be as relatable, but we can dream about time travel, right? Here’s what the campers think they would see if they were to travel to a different time of their choice.