During the cold winter months, as many begin to feel the winter blues set it, it’s nice to have something to look forward to.
Family Day was first established in Ontario in 2008, so it feels very new to some of us. Despite it being less established than all the other holidays, it may be the most important for the mental health of ourselves and others.
Family Day can melt away the feeling of isolation and loneliness, and it can really turn things around for one’s mindset. It can give people a ray of light as the darkest days become brighter and we inch closer to spring.
Despite it being a holiday, Family Day doesn’t come with many expectations. There are no gifts and no traditions that have been passed on through several generations weighing on us. Family Day gives us free reign to make of it what we want.
Since I became a part of my wife’s family, she and her family have used the day for winter activities such as road hockey, tobogganing, and bonfires. It's a day to exhale from the daily grind, enjoy each other’s company, and grow closer together as a family, which I think is a great use of the holiday.
My wife’s family also uses Family Day as a great opportunity to get outside, enjoy the fresh air, and embrace being Canadian, all while disconnecting from television, movies, and social media.
I hope everybody can enjoy time with family today, with people who are blood-related or have earned the right to be in your closest circle.
It’s hard for us as humans to just pause sometimes. We always have something to do around the house, errands to run, and bills to pay. However, Family Day is an opportunity for us all to stop and be thankful for who we have along for the ride.
Even if you can’t be with your family today, make some time for them. Pick up the phone and check in, go through some old picture albums, and reflect on how you got to where you are today and appreciate the people who have been with you through it all.
Tyler Evans is a reporter with OrilliaMatters.
