The Sunday Project

Do you remember when Sundays used to mean something? When the ending of your week had some sort of ritual or routine? Whether it was walking into the house with the aroma of a Sunday roast wafting through or being forced to pull out your best shirt from the back of the closet, you know — the one that actually had buttons — to get ready for church. This special day was a time to reflect or relax, pause or be productive, share with family and friends or take that much-needed time for yourself. No matter how you spent it, it was special.

In today’s busy lifestyle the magic of Sunday has been lost. In the past year, during the pandemic, we were lucky to know what day it was, let alone bring back its meaning. Our species has been through such an intense time of instability and inconsistency that both time and identity become a blur.

But the beautiful thing is that we have learned how to adapt. We work differently, we learn differently, and we live differently. As this uncertain time starts to come to an end why not take our newly found flexibility and bring back some of the things we have lost. Let’s resurrect (for lack of a better word) Sunday. As hard as the last year has been, many of us have been forced to find a new comfort (or at least adaptive) zone. One that, perhaps reluctantly, embraces isolation and separations. The truth is it might be a little tricky to come out of our germ protection shells and transition back to a so-called normal — after all, one can never truly return to “what was”. To prepare ourselves we need to start looking for a way to reconnect. I propose we do it on Sunday. Why don’t we all think of a way to make Sunday meaningful again and give ourselves this specific time to readapt, and if I daresay, to make our lives a bit better, and more fulfilling.

Introducing the Sunday Project. This is where our gather four good team challenges you to do something meaningful on a Sunday. Maybe it’s sitting down for a family meal or taking time away from a screen for two hours. We are not talking about getting your laundry done or grocery shopping to stock the snack drawer, but committing to doing something that nourishes deep inside you. Something that creates connections with yourself, your community, or even your planet. Why not take a walk in the park, send a note to a long lost friend, or volunteer at a local nonprofit. This doesn’t have to take the whole day, just long enough to bring back the beauty of a Sunday. Then keep doing it! Make it part of the new improved post COVID you. Give yourself something to look forward to each week, the beauty of a Sunday.

Jena Jenkins is co-creator of the Gather 4 Good movement.