From the editor

Accentuate the positive in February

Wed, 01/27/2021 - 8:30am

    I don’t know about you but I am tired of the negativity that has been around for … too long.

    February is perhaps best known as the month of love, with Valentine’s Day smack dab in the middle.

    However, I found some other days in the National Day Calendar that will hopefully inspire others to look and act on the bright side of life.

    Starting with Feb. 1, National Get Up Day, is a day for picking ourselves up after experiencing a fall or a roadblock, to persevere when something hasn’t gone your way. You can also help others overcome their problems that day.

    Feb. 4 is a day to celebrate girls and women in sports. We have seen a few barriers broken recently as the first woman to kick an extra point and a field goal in a Division 1 football game happened this past fall, and there will be a woman official for the first time in this year’s Super Bowl. Having coached girls basketball, I feel this is an important day. Feb. 4 is also Thank A Mail Carrier Day. Thank you to the mail deliverers who continue to work through a tough year.

    National Send A Card To A Friend Day is Feb. 7. I have been terrible about even sending Christmas cards. Perhaps it is time to mark this day on the calendar and follow through.

    This next day, National Giving Hearts Day on Feb. 11 (always the second Thursday in February) is one I didn’t know about. It is about donating to your favorite charity. According to the National Day Calendar website, in 2020, more than $19 million was donated to worthy causes that day.

    Feb. 11 is also Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk Day. It is a day about not stressing over the little problems that may creep into your life … and to keep that feeling going throughout the year.

    And don’t forget Valentine’s Day!

    This next day on this list, Random Acts of Kindness Day, Feb. 17, is the habit of a good friend who tries to do good things for people every day. Visit the Random Acts of Kindness Day website for a multitude of ideas!

    Almost done.

    National Love Your Pet Day is Feb. 20. We have two cats and a dog who get loved every day. Maybe we’ll spoil them even more the third Saturday of next month.

    Lastly, Feb. 27 is National Retro Day, celebrating the days before smartphones and the internet. Talk about accentuating the positive; I have found that Facebook in the past year has been a bastion of negativity, so if I do get on Facebook, I try to look for the positive posts and I very rarely chime in to the negative posts. It’s not worth the aggravation.

    Have a great February! Heck, have a great life! How’s that for being positive?!