Spirit Week

This week was spirit week at school for my younger daughter. Which meant that at ten o'clock at night for five school nights, I was being kept awake, groggy-eyed and slightly annoyed, to generate ideas for the next day's theme. Among these themes were: Fantasy Day (she was Pinkie Pie from My Little Pony), Twin Day (she was twins with her best friend), Pajama Day (a classic), Opposite Day (she was a cheerleader--and believe me, she is not that), and, for tomorrow, Holiday Best Day (she will be a menorah, with the help of two spaghetti boxes, aluminum foil, and some old Chanukah candles from the drawer). Because she has to wear a uniform almost every day of the year, Spirit Weeks like this one are a welcome relief.
 
Sometimes, I think it would be a welcome relief for any of us to have a Spirit Week. I feel quite sure that my lousy, frustrating day yesterday would've been made a whole lot better, had I been wearing pajamas. And perhaps my Monday would've been a lot more interesting if I'd had a pair of wings on my back. And while I would've had no interest in dressing exactly like somebody else on Tuesday, there were certainly days where it might have been fun to pretend I was the opposite of myself.  Holiday Best Day--well, having candles on your head and shoulders wouldn't exactly scream "take me seriously" in a job search, would it?
 
In general, though, I imagine that I (and probably most people) would benefit from a little spirit--some days when we get to step away from taking on the weight of the world, when we let a pair of wings or a pair of pajamas help us through the rough days.

I can't say I'll miss the 10pm wardrobe consultations now that spirit week is over, but it's been fun to watch these days lift our spirits, at least a little.  We may have to work out doing this more often.