Celebration

I am a sucker for a good celebration. I think we should make up as many reasons for getting together and enjoying each other as possible. I have spent the last couple of days at Tauranga Bay in New Zealand at a friend's wedding. We are all quite busy, so these occasions become rather rare. With people scattered around the globe, it becomes a challenge to co-ordinate leave from work and to find the money to make the journey. There can be some really tough decisions to make about places we would love to be, but can't. So when you do make it, you savour it - knowing it will be gone in an instant.

The arrival of the beautiful bride

Being present can be a challenge. If you do a job where the work always hangs around in your head, it can take time to wind down. The buzz of a to-do list sits ever present when thoughts start to wonder. If you are lucky enough to manage to fit the celebration into a holiday, you may have had a before and after. The before to clear space. The after as the idea of getting back to it starts to make its presence felt.

This was a 'do it yourself' wedding with all the bits and pieces being done by people connected to the couple in some way. Chipping in to the preparation makes the event more of an event. There was more anticipation and a chance to spend time with the couple putting things together and taking things apart. The temptation to outsource is strong when we start trying to focus on the things we are good at. We can be seduced by our success into only doing the things we are good at. 'Doing it yourself' isn't about efficiency, time-saving or cost-saving. If you aren't busy, there is real pleasure to be gained from working together with people you care about to put together an event celebrating those people.