So here we are, a few days past Christmas, beyond Kwanzaa and into the New Year. Many of my friends sent "Season's Greetings," "Merry Christmas" wishes and I am grateful they thought of me. I appreciate hearing from each of them, but I also had to let them know that our family does not celebrate Christmas. For "The plain truth about Christmas," visit http://home.sprynet.com/~pabco/ptofxmas.htm, but there are many other sites that enlighten the masses regarding Christmas and other traditional holidays. I hope you'll pick a few - seek them out - and read them.

But, this year, our six year old son, Dalair, had a hard time with not partaking in all the season's festivities. For the first time in 6 years, he was hurt because Santa Clause didn't visit our house, and because he didn't receive any Christmas gifts. He watched as his neighborhood friends played with their new bikes, remote controlled cars, and other gadgets on Christmas Day.

While we have always offered him plenty of explanations about why our family doesn't celebrate Christmas (and many of the other holidays) he still felt "sad" and left out. His sadness, made me feel "sad" too.

Instead of giving in to my feelings, and celebrating Christmas anyway (regardless of our beliefs), for the sake of a happy 6 year old, my husband and I swiftly went to work on the design of a new family holiday tradition that we are calling, "Celebrate Your Success Day"!


Here's what we've come up with…


"Celebrate Your Success Day" is intended to promote character development, achievement, and the celebration of personal and collective success'. We will celebrate the first Saturday in June of each year. Next year's inaugural celebration will take place June 2, 2007!

Between now and June, we'll be keeping an active record of all of our successes, and we will be inviting a select list of friends and family (compiled by each of us) to celebrate with us! We are asking that each of our guests keep a record of their success' too, so that all successes will be recognized.

There will be presents and other awards given for each individual and collective achievement. These achievements may include: a new skill learned, good grades in school, the number of books we read between now and then, new projects launched or completed, recognized positive shifts in character etc. Our goals will be set individually (unless it is a collective project of course), but our successes will be celebrated collectively! Dalair has already recognized his potential for receiving lots of presents and awards out of this deal, and has already enthusiastically, gone to work! This is going to be a "holiday", that all of us can look forward to celebrating.

I openly invite each of you to share in our new family holiday tradition, or to design one and others that work best for you, your family and its structure.

After all, we are free!

We wish you Peace, Love, Light, Flight, and Creativity for the New Year!


Copyright, Dishonne Muhammad 2006.




Congratulations to Dalair Dishonne and Daryn as they celebrate the birth of their twins born November 10, 2008, daughter, Daryn Nicole, and son, Zen Atir.



Reach out to the creative Dishonne Muhammad at Dishonne@hotmail.com

Photo Credits:

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"Proud Woman," Courtesy of: African Millennium Foundation, www.african-millennium.com

"Agave2." Courtesy of: John Villinski, Abstract Southwest, www.abstractsouthwest.com

African “Egghead” and Black Man in White
Courtesy of: Gene Pearson, Gene Pearson Studio, www.genepearsonsculpture.com

BOTTOM PHOTO:

Photo of Dalair with his treat. Photo by his Mom, Dishonne Muhammad