Happy International Women’s Day! Did you know IWD has been celebrated around the world for decades??  First, a brief history lesson: After women gained suffrage in Soviet Russia in 1917, March 8 became a national holiday there. The day was then predominantly celebrated by the socialist movement and communist countries until it was adopted in 1975 by the United Nations. Today, International Women’s Day is a public holiday in some countries.  It is used as a day of protest for some; to some it is a day that celebrates womanhood. o much of our history is founded in HERstory.  Women inventors.  Women in business.  Women trailblazers.  Women in the military.  Women in politics.  Women who fought.  Women who supported.  Women who stood in the shadows.  Women who worked multiple jobs.  Women who held their tongue.  Women who held it down alone. Women who self-healed.  Women who never fully healed.  To all women: we applaud you.

Today is #NationalSendACardToAFriendDay and what better time to pay homage to the great and sometimes forgotten art of... a handwritten note! If you are anything like me, you often dread heading to the mailbox. Then there are the special occasions where I may see a small sized envelope with my name and address scrawled on the front in a funny kind of font... Most of the time they are thank you notes from some gift I had given. Not expected but always greatly appreciated. My aunt is known for filling up every possible inch front and back of the card and thanking you for each and every item and how special they made her feel. I love to see how expressive she can be, and her beautiful handwriting will definitely be part of her legacy. Same with my mom. I can spot their notes a mile away... I keep them and some day will cherish having a piece of "their voice" to hold on to. My grandmother also had beautiful penmanship and would lovingly sign her name, "Loads of Love, Grandma." These too are classic notes that I keep in a special place.

Here us WHY I am such a big fan of starting the Christmas season early. While we should maintain a giving spirit all year, most of us need a little reminder. Christmastime is when we let our inner child surface. It’s when we volunteer. It’s when we make extra time for our family and friends. It’s when we leave the 9 to 5 where it belongs, celebrate our faith and the people that matter most to us. It's when we give a little more effort to just let it go, and count our many blessings.

The end of January tends to be when the pangs of winter really kick in. It’s cold. The blizzards and rain storms have started. The cuteness of Christmas and New Year’s Eve are far in the rear view. Your nose is cold and your toes are wet. You’re already done and you have at least until March to go…

Don’t let the winter blues get you down yet. Part of the magic of the holiday season was engaging with family and friends, eating yummy food and tapping into your inner creativity to spread some cheer. Who says that needs to end when the calendar flips to a new year??