That's Latin (probably poor Latin) for our House motto: "Any excuse for a party." Why? Because parties are good for you. Especially if you are far from home with a loved one in the hospital. Parties bring people together, provide a release valve and help us celebrate the good in life. That's why each month the staff searches the Internet for fun and wacky holidays to supplement the more traditional ones in the calendar. Sure, there is corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day, gifts at Christmas. But we also celebrate Pi Day (March 14) with pie, bring creatures to life on National Sea Monkey Day (May 16) and enjoy pizza on Cheese Pizza Day (September 15). The list goes on.
This month the staff discovered that March 26 is Create Your Own Holiday Day. So they made a contest for guests, asking them to invent a holiday complete with theme, food and activities that would guide the celebration. There were some brilliant ideas, all of which will be implemented throughout the year. But the winner of the contest was Joan L who proposed "Love Yourself Day." Joan suggested a healthy meal (whole wheat pasta with pesto and shrimp, actually), spa gifts for the guests and the placement of positive, affirming messages around the House...all in an effort to help our guests focus on caring for themselves. And that is the reason her holiday was the winner. Everything we do at Fisher House- all the meals, classes, crazy holidays and spontaneous bursts of song-all of it is designed to help our guests relax, laugh, rest and find some stress free moments for themselves. Joan's holiday fit beautifully into our program mission. It IS our program mission.
Joan and her daughter have been to the House several times over the years and have found it to be a refuge. As she puts it, "Our family is extremely grateful for the Puget Sound Fisher House for so many reasons. The Seattle VA Spinal Cord Injury Unit is the closest place my husband can get the specialized care he needs. The Fisher House helps relieve so much of the stress so I can focus on being there for my husband. Fisher House is beautiful, peaceful and a place to call home when we need it." And now Joan has become a part of the legacy of peace. We will be celebrating "Love Yourself Day" on March 26, 2014 and every March 26 in the years to come. Thank you, Joan, for the terrific holiday!
This month the staff discovered that March 26 is Create Your Own Holiday Day. So they made a contest for guests, asking them to invent a holiday complete with theme, food and activities that would guide the celebration. There were some brilliant ideas, all of which will be implemented throughout the year. But the winner of the contest was Joan L who proposed "Love Yourself Day." Joan suggested a healthy meal (whole wheat pasta with pesto and shrimp, actually), spa gifts for the guests and the placement of positive, affirming messages around the House...all in an effort to help our guests focus on caring for themselves. And that is the reason her holiday was the winner. Everything we do at Fisher House- all the meals, classes, crazy holidays and spontaneous bursts of song-all of it is designed to help our guests relax, laugh, rest and find some stress free moments for themselves. Joan's holiday fit beautifully into our program mission. It IS our program mission.
Joan and her daughter have been to the House several times over the years and have found it to be a refuge. As she puts it, "Our family is extremely grateful for the Puget Sound Fisher House for so many reasons. The Seattle VA Spinal Cord Injury Unit is the closest place my husband can get the specialized care he needs. The Fisher House helps relieve so much of the stress so I can focus on being there for my husband. Fisher House is beautiful, peaceful and a place to call home when we need it." And now Joan has become a part of the legacy of peace. We will be celebrating "Love Yourself Day" on March 26, 2014 and every March 26 in the years to come. Thank you, Joan, for the terrific holiday!
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