Happy 4th of July!

Today is July 4th--picnics, barbecues, fireworks, and celebrations, but sometimes, it's a lonely time when we're not close to friends and family. When feeling sad or lonely, it' s always good to remember that holiday celebrations are two-fold: They're meant to create a sense of solidarity among members of a society or culture, and they're meant to boost the economy. Through family and public celebrations, members of a society celebrate holidays to remember their history, salute their heroes, and honor their fallen. We're also expected to spend money, and this is great for the economy. Most important, celebrations create a sense family that bonds a society together, so whether we claim our membership or not, we have family within the greater society. These people know us and some of them like us. Togetherness is meant to strengthen the bonds between families within the society in which we live, and this strengthens the society and its culture. So if you're feeling left out during a national holiday, you aren't. You can celebrate with a large group or on your own, relaxing and appreciating the little things about this country, your city, your family, or your life. If you're not able to celebrate with others, allow yourself the freedom to celebrate on your own and in your individual way. This is self-affirming, and this builds pride and self-esteem. There must be countless little things that you can do--take a bubble bath, watch a classic movie, go to the movies, dine out with a friend or spend the day on your own. It's a matter of giving yourself permission to enjoy the holiday in your individual way. Once you decide that you have the right to determine what makes you happy, you can focus on your happiness, not on what society is doing or telling you to do. We don't have to attend a picnic to prove we're part of a community. By living there, we already are. As far as I'm concerned, we're celebrating together, at this moment in time. But we don't have to celebrate on a given national holiday. We can choose to celebrate after the holiday, before the holiday, during the holiday, or all of the above. Making our lives happy is  simply a matter of choice. 
Happy 4th of July!