Celebrating

When our children lived at home I was constantly on the lookout for ways to make them feel special. I love yous, prayers before school, and hugs whenever possible were a part of every day and we tried to have fun whenever and wherever possible! 

Shortly after we had our first baby, my mom slipped a slightly wrinkled column cut from the local paper, onto my kitchen counter. She laid it down and tapped it gently as she spoke words I will never forget. “Thought you might want to read this. I wish I had done more of this.” Nothing more was said.

The article, which I still have today, was entitled, “Don’t Miss the Fun of a Growing Up Son”. This tattered column from many years ago impacted me greatly as it encouraged parents to love and cherish the moments in front of them. Ann Landers, the writer of the column spoke to the importance of not fretting over work needing to be done because children will not be young forever.

My mom has always struggled to express her feelings. Looking back, I can see it took great courage for her to hand me that tattered piece of newsprint. I remember her words still and even more so, the look of both of hope and regret in her eyes. 

A Life of Simple Celebrations

We decided we would celebrate the big deals and the small moments,

Birthdays were special. There was breakfast in bed, surprises, and a favorite dessert. Christmas was celebrated with cookie baking marathons, tree decorating, and loads of twinkle lights.

We loved camping. Vacations were never fancy but we went as often as we could. My hubby and I scheduled date nights and anniversary get-a-ways.

We celebrated the end of school and its beginning. We relished Friday night movies and pizza.  Blanket forts, a chest filled with dress-up clothes, and sleepovers are seen in so many pictures we took during those years. I celebrated friendships with girlfriends and we shared life with other couples and their families. We cried, we laughed and we dreamed together.

Life was not perfect, but it was good.

Somewhere along the way, there was a shift in how I saw life. It didn’t happen all at once. I it was slow, much like a frog in boiling water. instead of celebrating, our thoughts were how can we get through this day/month/year. 

Hard things changed us and the days of celebration took a back seat to survival. We slipped into simply putting one foot in front of the other.

Instead of doing life with others, we began to just live. Instead of laughter, there were sharp thorny places. It was a hard and difficult season.

If there was a secret recipe for bringing back all of the good things we loved, I would have paid big money for it.

There wasn’t.

We had to start over from what felt like the beginning and choose joy when it seemed impossible. It was messy and complicated.

 

A Simple Hope

Do these words resonate with you?

You. Yes, You. I see you. 

Your hand is in the air, you’re jumping up and down with tears streaming down your face shouting at the heavens… ME TOO! You see the calendar inching toward the holidays and you want to close your eyes until it’s over.

Friend, You don’t see it yet? That’s ok. It’s coming. 

Are the holidays hard for you? Is your family anything but a Hallmark Christmas Movie?  Been there. 

Hard to see past where you are right now? I understand.

A  New Beginning 

Let’s make today a new beginning. Pick one, two, or all seven of the ideas below. Life is short and time is precious. It’s been said, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Love that, but honestly, after the first few steps, it can get rocky. No matter, no excuses. Let’s celebrate this one wild and beautiful life we have! if not now, when? 

• Start again. Dust off your party hat and look for something to celebrate. Several weeks ago, my hubby forgot his wallet. He’s a delivery driver and it is taboo to drive without a license. He reached me as I was heading to the gym. I drove home to get the missing wallet and agreed to meet him at a grocery store 15 minutes from home. I arrived earlier than he did and considered checking Facebook or reading emails while I waited. I had a quick moment to decide; read mindless internet or bless him. I dashed into the store, picked out a gooey cinnamon donut, and met him at his truck with the wallet and a grin. I loved how happy it made him! Who can you celebrate today? 
• Stop caring so much. Why does it matter what other people think and how we look? When was the last time you saw child care what they looked like as they rolled down a hill or jumped from a swing? Turn off Instagram. Comparison is killing us all. Live all in! Sing out loud, laugh until your belly hurts. If you snort when you laugh…all the better!  
• Change your attitude. Choosing to celebrate life is a mindset shift Upbeat people attract other up-beaters. What is good in your life.? What can you be thankful for? I have found In the midst of hard places beautiful things are hidden just under the surface. Find the good and be thankful for the grace of God which carries you over the hard places.
• Appreciate others.  Go out of your way to tell them they matter. They need to hear this from you. It’s easy to take for granted those we love the most. You have them today but tomorrow is not a promise. Say thank you. Show appreciation to strangers and the people you live with. Does your husband do the dishes for you?  (Mine does dishes and cleans the bathrooms. I am so keeping him) Girl, don’t you take that for granted.He needs to hear a “thanks babe” every now and then. It is often the smallest words of appreciation and affirmation which can soften the most difficult people in our lives.
• Laugh at yourself. We make mistakes and need to eat humble pie on occasion. It feels good to laugh and when you do, it gives permission for others to see their mistakes as not such a big deal. Go back to idea #2, stop caring so much. 
• Embrace a slower way of being.  The world moves fast and we are pushed to go faster and do more. Without meaning to we spend more time doing than simply being. When is the last time you watched a sunset or bought some flowers at the local market? Splurge on a few beautiful blossoms and then give some away. Watch for the eyes and the smiles of crazy delight and surprise as you do!
• Dance. Be spontaneous. Jump up and down and celebrate how awesome you are. Your days may be messy and hard, but my friend, you are still breathing and this alone is reason enough to celebrate your right now. Close your eyes and have a dance party wherever you are! For some reason, these days, I can watch a million of the daddy-daughter dances and the friends and handsome cowboys dancing on Facebook. Why? Because they’re having fun. Some of them are really good. Most are marginal. Others are awful. But they are dancing, I love it and it makes me smile and want to dance too! 

I would love to hear how you a putting these little nuggets of hope into action. Send me a quick email, message on Instagram, or comment below! My prayer is for your days to be filled with all of the things that matter most to you.

Blessings-