Boomer-Lifestyle Holidays That Celebrate the Good Life

You know you’re living your best life when you hear its World Gratitude Day (September 21) and you think, “Hmmm… I’m grateful to be living my best life in my dream home where I have some truly great neighbors.” And then – lo and behold – exactly one week later you hear its National Good Neighbor Day (September 28) and you think, “Cool! Those neighbors I was grateful for last week have a day to remind me just how good they are!”

In case you’re wondering: no, we did not make those holidays up. Here’s a little bit of the history and ways to celebrate:

National Neighbor Day

This holiday began in Montana in the 1970s, when its founder wanted to connect with her neighbors. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter issued Proclamation 4601, creating a national day of recognition of good neighbors, “with the appropriate ceremonies and activities.”

What might those “ceremonies and activities” include?

• Saying “hello” to folks in your community you don’t know (or know well) yet
• Organizing a block party or similar gathering to encourage neighbors to get to know one another
• Participating in activities at the clubhouse or community gathering area. (Hint: we’re in the South, where Fall is the perfect time to bond – or engage in friendly rivalries – over football!)

World Gratitude Day

The brainchild of this holiday was Sri Chinmoy, a meditation teacher at the United Nations Thanksgiving dinner in 1965, where participants pledged to share a similar annual celebration of gratitude in their home countries. They did just that, with numerous countries around the world participating on September 21, 1966, and it has been observed annually since then. It was later recognized as World Gratitude Day by a resolution in 1977.

Participating is as easy as pausing to appreciate all of the good things in your life. Or, as Eckhart Tolle says, “Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.”

At Windsong, part of our blueprint for every community, like Echols Farm and Owenby, is the opportunity to meet neighbors and to forge friendships. And one of the by-products of living in a Windsong community is the abundant lifestyle enjoyed by Active Adults who are grateful for their homes, friends, families, and living their dreams.

Welcome to Windsong, Where Life’s A Breeze