Celebrating the Earth, Books, and Dance

   This week there’s a convergence of major events.  One is well known but possibly forgotten.  Two are lesser known and possibly even unknown.  So what are they?  Today April 22nd is Earth Day.  Tomorrow, Thursday April 23rd is World Book Night.  And Friday April 24th begins National Dance Week, which runs for 10 days (a super-extended week!) through May 3rd.  

   Earth Day first began in 1970 when Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, spearheaded the event, after witnessing the ravages of a 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California.  His efforts initiated a movement, which now 45 years later, is still going strong.  Livescience.com (http://www.livescience.com/50556-earth-day-facts-history.html) offers these great resources for more information and ways to help our planet Earth:

• Earth Day Network provides information on how to take action and become involved in environmental programs.
• The United Nations declared April 22 as International Mother Earth Day and lists Earth Day events worldwide.

    

   World Book Night celebrates reading and books on April 23rd of each year.  As described on their web site, http://www.worldbooknight.org/, “Passionate volunteers give out hundreds of thousands of books in their communities to share their love of reading with people who don’t read regularly or own books.  It’s run by The Reading Agency, a national charity that inspires people to become confident and enthusiastic readers to help give them an equal chance in life.” 

   As a writer and avid reader, I hope you will join me in celebrating this event by giving away a book to someone in need, or sorting through your bookshelves and donating your no-longer needed books to people or organizations who can benefit from your gift, or simply sharing a book you love with a friend. 

   To people like us books are precious.  Personally, they give me comfort, like a trusted friend.  What are some of your most treasured books?  How have they impacted your life?  Share those books with another and trust that their life will expand exponentially as a result of your generosity.

   Lastly, National Dance Week celebrates, you guessed it, dance!  As a board certified dance-movement therapist (yes, that’s one of my professional identities and offerings), I believe that dance and movement are at the core of living and life.  After all, our bodies were born to move.  You were created from the dance of egg and sperm and have ever since continued to develop and grow in a constant dance of life within you and all around you.  

   Dance is expressive of any and all emotions.  And it is often associated with celebrating.  I agree.  It’s celebrating our aliveness – that no matter what we are experiencing, it’s something worth dancing about.  So join me in dancing this week!  For more information about dance week you can go to: http://www.nationaldanceweek.org/  Or, do a web search for “dance week, your city, state” and learn about the local opportunities for you to get out and dance for free and to get free.
If you live in the San Francisco Bay area, check out: http://bayareandw.org/ for a listing of over 500 free dance classes, performances and events happening between 4/24-5/3. 

   So, whether you’re celebrating the Earth, books, or your body in motion, here’s to the preciousness of your life and all of life!