Head scratching that there are more “national days” in a year then 365. Some are interesting. Some seem a little ridiculous, but I bet every single one of them has significant meaning to somebody out there.

This one has stuck with me for some reason. I first found out about it four years ago, and every year part of me looks forward to its arrival again. I didn’t even own a hammock when I first heard of this date, but it still spoke to me. I remember a few instances of getting to lay in one as a kid and thoroughly enjoyed it, but life seemed to get in the way of climbing back in one for many years.

I think the big draw to me is what it represents, not the actual hammock. If you are laying in a hammock, then you are not at work (not unless you have an amazing job and I’m extremely jealous of you). It means you are not driving in stressful traffic. Not fighting lines at the grocery store. When you are laying in a hammock, that means you are laying in a hammock. Swaying. Napping. Smiling. Relaxing. We all need more of that, especially myself. A situation where you can just be. A situation where the big decisions include which end should I put my head and where should I set my beer so I can reach it easily.

Even with just typing those last few sentences, I can feel a calm. And I feel it because of thinking what a hammock represents.

So on this day, people should close their eyes and imagine where would they hang their hammock. A beach? The forest? The back yard? The snowy tundra? Even that tiny moment of thinking about this can take us away from the craziness that sometimes surrounds us. We all need a little hammock in our life.