As we turn the sheets of the calendar every year; we await for coming days. We start with New Year and then follows the entire year. Birthdays; anniversaries; engagements; marriages; house warming functions; baby shower functions; festivals; celebrating special occasions like silver jubilee and golden jubilee year; celebrating children passing out with high grades from high schools and colleges; celebrating new jobs and promotions; and of course celebrations of special days like Mother’s day; Women’s day; Father’s Day; Daughter’s day; friendship’s day; Valentine’s day; Rose day and the list goes on. A year passes and we keep celebrating every year. But why just one day in particular we wait and make that person feel special and loved?
On that special day right from midnight, we start celebrating the occasion; and that particular person is given all attention; love and care. Planning is made for a long time for the special day. The whole day is happily celebrated. While some just post on social media. Everything is associated with that particular person. Their choice in everything is kept as high preference. Let it be in food; dress code; gifts; music; decorations; invitees; and many other things. The person receives calls and wishes from around the world; even from those people who never checks for months; calls. In a way it’s good; because on that special day many rivals forget their rivalries and come together under one roof; maybe just to show off but that doesn’t matter. And also at some homes; the member is ignored throughout the year as if they never exist but on that special day they are given love and care for a whole year; at least that person gets the chance of receiving what they actually want from their near and dear ones.
If we see from a family point of view; some celebrate these special days genuinely where else there are even people who just celebrate to put it on their social media to show off. It’s not always about the elders of the family; this happens to other members well. Have we ever thought for a while about how that person might be feeling? Obviously no! If yes then we wouldn’t have continued. That person is ignored for a whole year and one day suddenly he/she is made so important, and just for a day. They may be felt like an object who has value for just one day and for the rest of days they go unnoticed. This is the scenario of many families. Some come in light while others are behind curtains. As the generation grows; there also grows the differences, but that doesn’t mean other people in the family lose their values.
Why is it that; the person is loved for one day? Why isn’t that person loved every day? What do they ask for; that we aren’t able to give them daily? Every human being needs love; care and affection from their families and friends every day even little is enough. Every human being deserved to be loved and cared for. We should love the person; make them feel special every day because they are our family. Mothers are always given more respect and prayed and considered equal to God, and fathers are always sidelined in comparison to mothers. I personally got aware of Father’s Day some few years back and I started celebrating. But I remember celebrating Mother’s Day since childhood. Thank God; earlier we had genuinely celebrated each and every occasion from the heart. All thanks to mobiles and social media. At that time it wasn’t in fashion to post everything on social media. One never had to pretend and just click for posting for others to see and praise. Yes of course photos were clicked but for memories. There was real love and celebration and not just for one day. Every day was converted into some occasion and was celebrated.
Earlier one didn’t need any special day in the calendar to celebrate each day. Everyone in the family just gathered and made their day special with love and affection. If we forget about some particular day; dedicated to someone for celebration; there are so many festivals that fall on each month; which were celebrated earlier. With no technology; no gadgets; no social media; only manpower and lust for being with family and friends; everyone had big celebrations in their lives. Let’s not just celebrate for the post; let’s celebrate for our loved ones. Let’s not make them feel special for a day; let’s make them feel an important part of life daily. Let’s love our family members from the heart and not hurt them and make them feel left out.
Sejal Davey Counselor and Coach (Child, Career and Parenting)
