Celebrating everyday life every day

I've never been one to opt against wearing family jewelry. It's a trait that drives my mother crazy. Her worry is that you could lose an earring that belonged to your grandmother and never be able to wear the other one again. Wearing a piece of precious jewelry knowing the risk of losing it exists is somehow desecrating your grandmother's memory. However, I stand a little straighter when I wear the Saint Christopher medal that was given to mom when she was young and smile whenever I hear Grandma Knight's bell earrings from Thailand jingle against my earlobes. The pieces represent the love that we give to each other. I celebrate that love, in part, by wearing the jewelry, and I don't need a special occasion to do so. Celebrations like mine of everyday life inspired the creation of Open That Bottle Night in 2000. The celebration's organizers felt that fine vintage wines should not be kept in a musty cellar, simply lying in wait for a day more special than all others to be uncorked. Instead, the bottles should be enjoyed and memories recalled and new ones made, the night's creators contended. In its 11-year existence, Open That Bottle Night has become a tradition and has spread worldwide. Saturday, I'll celebrate it, probably with a bottle of average white wine, which reminds me of many dinners spent in the company of family and friends in Virginia. Each sip will be a pause from the rigamarole of everyday existence, and I'll take the time to remember those family members and friends without whom I would not be who I am. I'll celebrate the many times they have uncomplainingly been my guardian angels. With each sip I'll also celebrate new friends and small joys that tend to be quickly forgotten, like Sunday drives in the mountains and that pair of jeans that have been easier to button lately. I plan to consciously focus on the good news in my life instead of the bad things that are so easy to get caught up in. So open your favorite bottle and celebrate life and its joys with me, even if your "bottle" is a board game you play with family, a glass of sweet tea that reminds you of summer and barbecuing by the lake, or a tub of popcorn and classic movies. Whatever your indulgence is, enjoy it, and I hope that you take the time to celebrate more often than once a year. Let me know what's worth celebrating in your life, and I'll share your thoughts next week. Call me at 265- 6795, ext. 21, or e-mail me at acampbell@ havredailynews.com.