Happy Heart Hugs Day!  If a 'heart handshake' is what a surgeon does to manually keep your heart beating what could a heart hug possibly be? Well, it means it’s time to get super snuggly and lovey dovey with the people you really love.  If you’re a bit of a humbug, you probably won’t be up for celebrating this super squishy day. But if you like hugs and cuddles, fist bumps and high fives, and telling people how much they really mean to you, then this day is all about you and those wonderful people in your life! Anybody who you love, anyone who you think deserves some love, anyone you see as being a bit of an inspiration, or anyone you are just thankful to have in your life but you maybe don’t see as often as you would like. These are all people that could benefit from your happy heart hugs on Happy Heart Hugs Day!  Surprisingly this holiday was created by, or at least for, a dog. Archie Brindleton, a super happy French bulldog inspired this day, presumably because as a dog he is full of happy hugs himself. Why celebrate this on June 28th? Because that's the day Archie's owners brought him home.   Anyway, while that's a cute story for the owners, its a pretty lame foundation upon which to establish a holiday. BUT the good news is that if a happy little dog from one of the most inbred breeds on the planet can create a special day, then anyone can! And that includes you too!  Why don't you start a special day yourself? We all basically celebrate the same holidays each year: New Year's, Valentines Day, Christmas, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, and so on and so forth. The calendar tells us when and what to celebrate and we follow the plan without question. Naturally, there is some variation for special holidays of religious or cultural groups or celebrations and more personally meaningful days, such as birthdays and anniversaries we share with friends and family. But why not get creative and start coloring outside the lines?  Find something that's really special to you and make a day to celebrate your enjoyment and appreciation for it? Pretty much all the 'Happy Days' you've heard about this past month were started just that way. Someone had a passion, or hobby, or special food and wanted to share the joy it brings them with the world. Some of these days started locally and grew in popularity and scope; others began on the national stage and trickled down to have unique activities in many locations. But they all started because someone or some group took action to share their passion.   But you don't need to start a movement to get local, national, or global recognition to create a special day. Why not just have something that's special just to you or your closest friends and family?   Anyway, over the past month we have explored a wide variety of cool things that get celebrated and if you look up the calendars of holidays, celebrations, and other special days you'll see quite a list. But as long as that list is it isn't exhaustive; that list is growing and you can be one to add to it too. So reflect on all the great things you've had in life, the people, places, and things you've seen, and experiences or activities, big or small, that have brought you joy. Pick the one that is the most meaningful to you - and isn't already recognized by another day - and then find a date that bears some strong tie to that thing. Or just find a date that doesn't have anything else going on already and go with that. Who cares?! It's your special day!  At the very least enjoy it just for you or share it with friends and family. If its something that is more widely shared you can expand it to your community or try to get it recognized on a great scale. Either way, create it, put it on the calendar, and enjoy it every year!